shocking

Sometimes when I look back at this nearly 10-year-old blog, I find it shocking what recipes I DON’T have on here.

Today’s recipe is the perfect example. I’ve been making these nachos since 1993, a year before the cookbook that they are printed in even came out. That is because I tested the recipes in the cookbook, Southwest The Beautiful Cookbook by Barbara Pool Fenzl.

The recipes for the second week of my cooking series at Les Gourmettes Cooking School all came from the book. And this recipe is one of my absolute favorites. I’ve made these nachos dozens of times. Everyone loves them! So how it is that they’ve never made it on here? It blows my mind.

A funny side notes: when I was purchasing the ingredients this past weekend so I could blog and photograph the recipe, I accidentally grabbed sour cream with chives. It works in this application – the funny part is that I didn’t even know that existed until I got home and opened the container. I practically live in grocery stores, how did this slip past me?

One thing that hasn’t slipped by is the fact that Tostitos Scoops are great tortilla chips. They were not introduced to the market until 2003, ten years after this recipe was developed. But by all means, use them because they are perfect for these individual nachos such as these.

Corn Nachos

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup corn kernels
• 3 Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 10 ounces corn tortilla chips (Tostitos Scoops are perfect)
• 1 tablespoon sliced pickled jalapeño chilies, optional

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; sauté the bell pepper and red onion until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add corn, Anaheim chilies, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook another 2 minutes; set aside.

In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer beat together the cream cheese and sour cream. Fold the sautéed vegetables into the cream cheese mixture.

Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture on each tortilla chip. Sprinkle with jalapeños, if desired. Place on baking sheets and broil about 3-inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese melts and the chips begin to brown.

Makes about 72

NOTE: Filling may be made 1 to 2 days in advance but the nachos should be filled and broiled right before serving, otherwise, they tend to get soggy.

Recipe from Southwest The Beautiful Cookbook by Barbara Pool Fenzl