Chili Bacon Nachos For Two Recipes

SLOW-COOKER BACON CHILI

Steps:

• Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
• In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon 12 to 14 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 1/4 cup; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add remaining bacon to slow cooker.
• Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add beef, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook 6 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
• Add beef mixture to slow cooker; stir in remaining chili ingredients. Cover; cook on High heat setting 3 to 4 hours or on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours. Serve with reserved bacon and Toppings.

CHILI BACON NACHOS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• For The Chips: Cut each tortilla into quarters. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. The oil should be about 1/2 inch deep in the skillet. Place about 8 to 10 of the tortilla quarters in the hot oil at a time. Turn the tortilla chips as they cook so each side is golden brown.
• When the chips are golden brown on both sides, remove them from the skillet and lay them on a plate over a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Repeat with the remaining tortillas; set aside.
• For The Bacon Guacamole: In a small bowl, add the avocado, 1 tablespoon of the red onions (reserving the other 2 tablespoons for the nachos), 1 tablespoon salsa (reserving 3 tablespoons to serve with the nachos), 1 tablespoon of the crumbled bacon (reserving 2 tablespoons for the nachos) and the juice from 1 quarter of the lime (reserving the other 2 quarters for garnish).
• Mix the guacamole ingredients using a spoon so that the avocado is broken into small chunks (rather than smashing up the avocado with a fork). Then salt and pepper to taste and top with additional crumbled bacon.
• For The Nachos: Add the chips to an oven-proof plate or skillet. Top the chips with the chili, shredded cheese, sliced jalapeno, remaining diced onions and the remaining crumbled bacon.
• Bake in a preheated oven until the cheese is melted, about 6 - 8 minutes.
• Top the warm nachos with the diced tomatoes and serve them with side dishes of sour cream, the remaining salsa and the bacon guacamole.
• Garnish with the remaining lime wedges.

CHILI NACHOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• On an ovensafe plate, arrange some of the chips in a single layer, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle on a good layer of cheese, then add a layer of the chili, then another round of chips, cheese and chili. Keep going until you feel you've successfully built Mount St. Nacho!
• Put the plate in the oven and heat the nachos until the cheese is totally melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Then dive right in and devour them.
• In a large, heavy pot, brown the ground beef with the garlic over medium heat until the beef is totally cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off most of the excess fat, leaving a little behind for moisture and flavor. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally; if the liquid level seems low, add up to 1 cup water to keep it from burning.
• After an hour, stir in the kidney and pinto beans. In a small bowl, combine the masa harina with 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork until it's smooth. Pour the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, then taste the chili and adjust the seasonings. Simmer the chili for another 10 minutes to thicken, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Fill freezer bags with 2-cup portions and freeze them flat for easy stacking (or freeze in other freezer-safe containers).

BACON NACHOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminimum foil.
• Spread 1/2 bag of Tostitos over the foil.
• Sprinkle with half the bacon, onion, peppers and 1 cup of cheese.
• Spread the remaining 1/2 bag of Tostitos on top.
• Top with remaining bacon, onion, peppers, olives and tomatoes.
• Top with 1 1/2 cup remaining cheese.
• Bake for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.