How to Up Your Nachos Game

Hear someone say “nachos” once, and whatever you were craving for dinner has gone out the window.

Is there a better dish for a family to pluck at, or a hungry solo party to tuck into? (We’re gonna go out on a limb here and say “keep your blini and caviar,” because there is nothing so luxurious as a platter of nachos for one.) When you hunker down to watch the game, there are few dishes that hit the spot more readily. Nachos are ready in a flash under a hot broiler, and they can double as a full meal.

Here’s the gear you need: One great serving platter, like the one shown here, for ease of access. You’ll want a cheese grater, a sturdy spatula (we especially this stainless steel set), a sheet pan, and your go-to salsa recipe. Like beans on your nachos? Us, too. Remember that an Instant Pot will make short (like, super-short: an hour from dried to done) work of them!

OK, without further ado, here are the three nachos recipes we are the most pumped about right now.

1. Nacho Pizza 

To look at this image is to hear “Gooooooooooooooal!” Is it nachos? Is it pizza? It’s nacho pizza, guys, and if that blew your mind, well, welcome to the club. And it’s ridiculously easy to make. If you’ve got a ball of premade pizza dough, great. A pound of beef, awesome. Everything else is pantry staple central: It doesn’t even require mozzarella. (We can’t be the only ones who eat that stuff by the palmful before it makes it on to our homemade pizzas!) The “fancy” note that makes it nachos-esque are some super-simple pickled red onions. It’s exactly as delicious as it looks.

2. Taco Nachos

So you know your family is going to politely request, er, demand nachos, wings or pizza for game day, but you know precisely how many times you guys have gotten fast food in the last few weeks. (No judgment; these are wild times.) Here’s as close as you’re going to get to putting a salad into their unsuspecting bellies. Think: two cans of black beans; baked chicken breasts; a whole avocado and two ripe tomatoes. Throw a flurry of shredded lettuce on top (if you can handle the glares), or skip it. But don’t skip the chips; most folks won’t tolerate an actual salad for their game day fare!

3. Gourmet Super Nachos 

Homemade queso anchors these bad boys. (We’ll give you a moment to collect yourself.) The brainchild of L.A. chef Josef Centeno, they involve a few little extra steps, but those are all in service of keeping you well-fed later, too. (The homemade salmorejo and avocado salsas will stay good for days of dipping and dolloping alongside scrambled eggs or chilaquiles.) Finishing touches include julienned radish for bite, toasted pepitas for nuttiness, and pomegranate seeds for juiciness. These were an absolute hit at Josef’s restaurant, Bar Amá.

So get your game face on, and get your nachos ready!