Loaded Chicken Nachos

Who doesn’t love a plate of nachos? This particular recipe I have only started making recently and it has quickly become an easy go-to meal jam packed with flavor and lots of veggies. 

Personally, I’m the type of person who doesn’t want to cook every single night and thankfully I am a total fan of leftovers. Plus, this Oklahoma heat and humidity is just killing me and the last thing I want to do is heat my house up even more by using the stove/oven. When I come across recipes that make great leftovers as well, I treasure them. You may have noticed that most of the recipes I have blogged about so far make great leftovers and that is for a reason. Between the busy rodeo season, life in general, kids (if you have them) and the likelihood someone in your family is working long days harvesting or sorting cattle, being able to heat up some delicious leftovers is important.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• salt and pepper to season
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 yellow bell, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• 2 limes
• 1 can corn
• 1 can black beans
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 bag tortilla chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Lightly season thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
• In an oven proof skillet, place on stove on medium-high heat; once pan is hot place in olive oil and then chicken thighs; brown about 2-3 minutes on each side.
• Place an oven proof lid over the top and put the entire skillet in the oven for 20 minutes or until done.
• Meanwhile, mix together cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl and mix together; set to the side.
• On a cookie sheet, place a piece of foil over the top and then slice the bell pepper and onion; season with salt and pepper and toss; place in the oven on the same rack as the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until soft.
• Drain the can of corn and place in a pan on medium-high heat; pour in one tablespoon of olive oil and stir. Leave on medium-high heat until the corn has been roasted.
• Drain the can of black beans and pour into a bowl with some water to remove some of the excess dark liquid. Drain the water and pour beans into the pan with the corn and mix together. Set aside.
• Remove the chicken from the heat and place the thighs in a bowl and shred; DO NOT DUMP THE JUICE LEFT IN THE SKILLET. (To shred the chicken, I placed the thighs in the mixing bowl for my KitchenAid mixer and used the paddle attachment on the first setting and then moved to the second setting for a few seconds.)
• Pour in the seasonings and mix thoroughly; Pour in about ½ to ¾ of the liquid from the skillet into the mixing bowl with the shredded chicken for extra flavor; mix thoroughly.
• On a plate or bowl, put a handful of chips and about ¾ of a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on the chips; microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
• Once the cheese is melted, scoop on your desired amount of the corn and bean mixture, veggies and chicken.
• Top off with some freshly squeezed lime juice.

For some added flavors, put a dab of salsa, sour cream, guacamole or even sliced avocado based on your preferences. For some ideas on salsa or guacamole recipes, take a look at my post from a few weeks ago!

Bri

June 21, 2017