Easy Nachos, Pt. III: BBQ Chicken

Over time, we've begun to establish that turning one dish into the basis for many is a useful way of expanding one's culinary horizons. Remember that cheese sauce we made last week? Of course you do, it fueled a weekend of college hoops and living the high life. Well, imagine turning that ode to the stadium snack into a heartier and even more satisfying style of nachos. All you have to do is combine that cheese sauce with a few store bought items to transform a night with no prospects into a party for your tongue that can only be rivaled by making out with that girl Six from Blossom. (BTW, who knew Jenna Von Oy has booty for days?)

Last year I was in Memphis and fell in love with the city's local version of nachos: A jalapeno cheese sauce (which you already know how to make), pulled pork, BBQ sauce, and round chips. Delicious. The biggest hurdle to recreating this wonderful dish at home is the disgusting nature of pulled pork in a tub from your local meat section. If you have a good BBQ pit near by, you might as well just eat there. Making a great smoky pork butt in a Dutch oven is an option, but takes hours. For a quick fix, switch the meat and grab a BBQ rotisserie chicken on the way home. In less than 15 minutes you can have great pulled chicken nachos. I like to compliment mine with kidney beans, but they are not essential.

You need:

Building Your Nachos:

Make cheese sauce as per last week’s instructions and warm as much BBQ sauce as you want in a separate pot. While simmering the milk and spices for the cheese sauce, remove the meat from the bird and shred in a bowl. Mix warm BBQ sauce and chicken together. Layer the chips on a baking sheet or large dish. If you want beans, drain and spread over chips. Follow suit with the chicken and BBQ sauce mixture. Fold cheese into milk and spices, then simmer and pour sauce over chips and chicken to complete nachos. If you want them piping hot, pop the whole tray in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Grab some napkins, toss on some Otis Reading, and get down to biz.