Baked Chili Nachos

February 3, 2021 Appetizers

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Baked Chili Nachos | Carolyn's Cooking (1)

These nachos are game day perfection! Not that I know much about these "games" you all watch on Sundays. Word on the street is that you guys eat food while watching them? Well, here's some food. Some game day comfort food!

I took a little shortcut here and I'm not even sorry. Sure, a big pot of from-scratch chili simmering on the stove all day sounds just lovely, BUT when you're making nachos that will be gobbled up in minutes, a shortcut is perfectly acceptable. The shortcut is: chili beans! These canned beans already have chili sauce in them so you're already halfway to flavor town. Wait, did I just morph into Guy Fierri for a sec? Whoops.

Baked Chili Nachos | Carolyn's Cooking (2)

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These nachos are super easy to make. You just have to make the shortcut chili, then layer the nachos (chips, cheese, and chili) and bake for about 10 minutes. Add your toppings and you're set!

You'll start by browning some ground beef in a cast iron skillet, then add tomato paste and a can of chili beans. The chili beans already have chili sauce in them so there's no need for additional spices. Once the chili has simmered for a bit, transfer it to a bowl, wipe out the skillet, and then start building the nachos in the same skillet. Make sure you're using an oven safe skillet! Pop the skillet in the oven and bake until the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Baked Chili Nachos | Carolyn's Cooking (3)

Make sure to buy tortilla chips that are thick and sturdy so that they don't get soggy. They need to be able to hold up all that chili! My other trick to keep the nachos from getting soggy is to layer the cheese first, and then the chili. The cheese will act as a little barrier for the saucy chili. Then, of course, we gotta add more cheese on top of the chili. More cheese is always the right move.

For the cheese, you can use whatever kind you like! Cheese melts better when you grate it yourself, but these are easy, shortcut nachos so I use pre-shredded cheese. I'll usually grab a Mexican blend and a cheddar, but you should use whatever is your favorite.

Get your favorite toppings ready while the nachos are in the oven so that you can eat them right away. I love topping my chili nachos with fresh chopped tomatoes, scallions and sour cream. So good!

These easy Baked Chili Nachos are game day perfection!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the nachos

1 Tablespoon neutral oil
1 Pound ground beef
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 15 Ounce can chili beans (do not drain)
1 Bag thick tortilla chips
16 Ounces shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, chihuahua, aserdo and queso quesadilla are good choices!)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the toppings

Fresh tomato chopped
Scallions thinly sliced
Sour cream

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the beef. Brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks; about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stir, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chili beans along with their sauce, stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. The chili beans are salty so you won't need much! Transfer beef mixture to a bowl and wipe out skillet.
In the same skillet, put down a layer of tortilla chips to cover the bottom. Then cover the chips in a layer of shredded cheese, followed by some of the beef mixture. Repeat the layers with the remaining chips, cheese and beef, until you have reached the top of the skillet. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until cheese is bubbly; about 10 minutes.
Top your Baked Chili Nachos with fresh tomatoes, scallions, and sour cream.
Enjoy!

Keyword Chili, Game Day, Nachos

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