Nachos Grande

Most often when we go out to dinner, we end up ordering an appetizer.  The hubby and I have different tastes when it comes to the appetizer menu, but the one thing that we can always agree on are Nachos.  To keep us from going out every time the Nacho bug bit, I came up with this version of our favorite 'tizer.  Salty, savory, a little bit of heat...mmmmmmmm.

Nachos Grande

1 pound ground meat

1/2 packet taco seasoning (I use Old Elpaso)

1/4 cup of water

1 1/3 cups shredded cheese (I use a fiesta blend)

1/2 red onion, chopped fine

1 bag corn chips

garnishes

sour cream

salsa

sliced jalepenos

scallions, sliced

tomatoes, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Brown ground meat in a large skillet
3. Drain excess fat from the pan (I use lean ground beef and find that there is little to no fat to drain off)
4. Add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water to the pan & stir, let simmer for 3-5 minutes until thickened
5. While meat is simmering, layer corn chips onto a large baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes
6. Line a large baking pan with foil (skip this step if you want a messier cleanup)
7. Add approximately one-third of the corn chips to the baking pan
8. Layer approximately one-third of each, meat, cheese and onion on top of the corn chips
9. Repeat steps 7 & 8 twice more to build a nacho lasagna (or you could bake 1 layer at a time - I just stack it up to save time)
10. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly

To serve, pile nachos onto a HUGE serving platter and sprinkle liberally (or to taste) with tomatoes, jalepenos and scallions. Add a dollup of sour cream and bowl of salsa on the side.