BBQ Chicken Nachos

There are very few people (that I know, at least) who don't like nachos. I LOVE nachos.  There is a restaurant near us, Chardonnay's, and while most of their food is quasi-mediocre, they have great sangria and great BBQ Chicken Nachos.

I never thought to make the BBQ Chicken nachos myself.  However, the other day, I saw a blog post by Baked Bree where she made them, and she cooked the chicken in the SLOW COOKER!!!  So naturally, I needed to try them!  And they were not only a hit, but they were delicious!!

BBQ Chicken Nachos!

In the slow cooker, I put 3 chicken breasts.  The breasts were huge, so I sliced the in half (so I essentially had 6 thinner breasts), and I seasoned the breasts (top and bottom) with seasoning salt.  Whatever you have is fine.  So -- In the slow cooker, I put the 6 breasts, on low for 4 hours.  A lot of water generated from the cooking (you can discard the water when they're done shredding, and you don't need to flip the breasts during the cook time), and when they're done, they absolutely fall apart.  Just take tongs and a fork and shred them up!

3 massive chicken breasts, sliced thin to make 6 pieces total, all cooked up in the crock pot

Shred that chicken!  After 4 hours on low, the chicken just falls apart!

If you're ambitious, you can make your own BBQ Sauce.  While I AM ambitious, I was too busy today to make my own, so I fell back on Sweet Baby Rays.  I actually used their Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce, and it was delicious!

For toppings on the Nachos, I used the following:

• Chopped Scallions
• Chopped Cilantro
• Chopped Tomato
• Onions & Peppers - chopped and sautéed so they're soft, but still with a little bite to them (I'm not a huge fan of raw onions)
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I bought a block of cheese and shredded it myself - it makes a huge difference than when you buy pre-shredded cheese!)

All of these, plus some chips, and the chicken, and you've got yourself some absolutely deliciousness!

Shredded cheese, chopped scallions, cilantro, and tomato, shredded BBQ Chicken, and sautéed onions & peppers

When you're ready, assemble!!!

• Corn Chips
• Shredded Chicken
• Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes, Scallions, and Cilantro
• Shredded Cheese

Repeat for as many layers as you want!!
I layered my nachos (2 layers) on a baking sheet lined with Aluminum Foil.  Once assembled, I stuck the sheet under the broiler for about 5-8 minutes, until everything was heated through and the cheese was melted.

Serve with Sour Cream and Guacamole!  And Sangria!!

Enjoy!!

Holy Guacamole!!

Furthering my obsession with Mexican Food:


My friends visited Friday night, and instead of going to Tortilla Flats, I'm making Mexican at Home.  I'm making burritos again (don't judge me!) with a little twist - I decided to mix the refried beans into the meat mixture instead of layering it.  I can't wait to eat them!!


To go with the burritos, I decided to make a couple of sides.  I bought some sour cream, I made a fresh batch of salsa and some GUACAMOLE!!!


This is probably one of the easiest versions of guacamole you can possibly make.  I first saw guacamole made on Barefoot Contessa, and I made it her way the first time....Since then, I've changed it and made it my own (basically I've made it the lazy [yet delicious] way....)!!  So here goes!!


Guacamole 
Ingredients

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1/4 cup small diced onion (red is best, but vadilia will do the trick)
• finely chopped jalapeno pepper (however many you want - I used only 1/2 of one pepper)
• 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (I had bought grape tomatoes today, so I just chopped some of those up)
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Lemon or Lime Juice

The Method
Halve the avocados, remove the pits, and dice the avocado while it's still in the shell.  Then scoop the diced avocado right into the bowl.  Immediately pour the lemon or lime juice over the avocados to prevent them from browning (I believe the technical term is oxidizing).  Add in the chopped onion, jalapeno pepper, tomatoes and a little bit of salt and pepper.  Mix everything together (you can either mash up the avocado, or just mix it lightly - do it however you want to get the consistency you want).


Taste the guacamole and add more salt and pepper if needed.


Viola!!

Guacamole - left a little on the chunkier side, ready for some chips and burritos!!!

Enjoy!!