Dinner Nachos

Here's a fun and fast idea for dinner! It is delicious, and you can pick your favorite toppings to make it even better.

Dinner Nachos

About 2-3 handfuls of corn chips per person (for our family, I used about 3/4 of a bag)
2-3 cups shredded cheddar-jack cheese
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or more, if you want more)
2 breasts of grilled chicken (see below for recipe)

very fast pico de gallo/salsa/nacho topping:
1 large tomato, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 tbsp chopped green onion or chives (if you like raw onion, you can use that)
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

other optional toppings:
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream
hot sauce
shredded lettuce
jalapeno peppers, either canned or fresh
sliced black olives
other beans
shredded pork or beef (replace the chicken with this)

1) Cook chicken according to recipe below.
2) chop tomato, green pepper, and green onion. Mix together with other 'salsa' ingredients. IF you don't want to make a fresh salsa, you can use jarred with no problem.
3) on a large cookie sheet, spread chips out as evenly as possible. Sprinkle on beans and chopped chicken. Cover with the shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 7-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and chips are toasty.
4) sprinkle salsa and other desired toppings over the baked chips and enjoy!

(some toppings, like 'other beans' or 'shredded pork' can be applied before the cheese and baked in the oven.)

Basic Grilled Chicken

2 large (8 oz) chicken breasts
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dry basil or Italian seasoning
tiny pinch of red pepper flake if desired (spicy!)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Sprinkle seasonings over chicken. Rub with oil when done to evenly coat seasonings. Grill on medium for about 5-10 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until outside is golden and internal temperature is about 160 degrees farenheit. Chop and sprinkle on nachos.

(This recipe is also great sliced on plain green salad, cubed and mixed into fettuccine alfredo, or eaten plain with a baked potato.)

Go for it! Have a happy dinner!