Almost three months ago we moved in to this lovely little house, only two weeks before we were due to have a baby. And we needed a lot of help and a little bit of kindness.
 
Some neighbors we met at church stepped up and provided just that-and we’re so grateful. These are people who have dropped what they were doing to pick up my husband and 5-day-old baby girl on the side of the road when the car broke down. People who sat with Tim at church to help with our busy little guy while I was home with baby. People who have invited us, included us, and helped us with a couple of crazy house projects. Good people. Really good people.
 
And I can think of no better way to say “Thank you with all of my heart,” than with nachos. Because. I. love. nachos.
 
Ooey-gooey cheesy nachos.
 
And three months later, I was finally in a place to invite them over for those nachos. So, if you need to say, “Thanks for saving my life,” or “Please be my friend,” or “I think you’re super swell,” I’ve got your nachos. Right here.
 

 
There are so many directions to go with a nacho bar, but we stuck with the basics. Here’s what was on my table: chips, CHEESE (glorious cheese), taco meat, black beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, green onions, tomatoes, sliced nacho jalapenos, shredded lettuce (for anyone who wanted to go nacho salad-y), limes, and queso fresco.
 
Let’s talk cheese.
 

 

The cream and the green chiles take the “vending machine”  or “gas station” taste out of the canned nacho cheese sauce. The cream gives it a more full, grown-up taste, and the chiles add great flavor. Canned cheeses have different consistencies and that consistency changes when heated. Be ready to add more or less of any ingredient to hit your cheesy sweet spot.
 
(“Just add green chiles” is becoming a life motto of mine. But really. You can add them to so many recipes to kick the flavor up a notch without making anything too spicy. They’re a staple of my pantry!)
 
We invited our friends over at lunch time, so I felt like I needed a good protein to throw on top of the nachos. This is my go-to for taco salads-it’s super easy and tastes great!
 

 

I like taco seasoning packets. They make life easy. But I don’t love the taste of taco seasoning packets on meat with nothing added. It tastes like a taco seasoning packet. The beans and tomatoes mellow out the packet flavor and make your meat go so much further! Bonus.
 
I’m not great about getting everything warm (or cold!) and ready at the same time. Which is part of why I love the nacho bar. I made the salsa the night before. I put the cheese in a small slow cooker and let it heat up a bit before I started adding cream and green chiles. It sat on the counter, gradually heating, all morning while I worked on everything else. Then I prepped the meat, put it in the serving dish and let it sit in the oven for 30 minutes or so on the “Keep Warm” setting. 
 
Everything else was chop and go. Except the guacamole. And now I’m going to share with you a little tip that I learned from one of Tim’s aunts. The first thing you should know about this lady is that I love her. She has a complete gift for listening and has made me feel at home with her family from day one. With years of homemaking and working in the hotel industry under her belt, she also has a complete gift for entertaining and I always know I’m in for some great food when she’s planning the party.
 

 
Okay, back to the guac. It’s like a ticking time bomb trying to serve it fresh-tasting and fresh-looking. So here’s her secret. Leave the avocado pits in the guacamole. Simple as that. The avocados won’t brown nearly as fast with the pits in the mix. I don’t know why. But I know it works!
 

 
And there you have it. The sure-fire way to make friends fast. Or say thank you. Or just eat really good food.

Natalie

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