FRIDAY NIGHTS
The sudden burst of relief that is placed within the spirit of a child finishing their week of school cannot be measured. It has to be felt. No one can truly describe that universal sigh let out by staff, parents and children alike when the final school bell rang. An entire weekend was ahead of you filled with playtime, practice, family events, church or maybe even some levels of sleep. Friday would set the tone for the entire weekend as the dreaded Sunday evening would set the tone for the entire week. 7-year old Corliss would pack up his backpack swiftly, say his goodbyes and walk as fast as regulated to his mother’s car, because he knew without a doubt the evening would be special. An evening that can only be defined as overly-indulgent. The evening would feature some of the many Friday delicacies only allowed on that day—the family favorite being nachos.
Nachos ultimately epitomize the youthful bliss of my childhood. They were a break from the burdens of school, life and angst. Only thing that stood between me and those nachos was a carefully placed napkin and cup of Kool-Aid. As the cheesy concoction would be devoured by me and my siblings, my smile would grow larger as my belly did too. Nachos were a refresher. A warm hug. A forehead kiss. A soft rub. We would crowd up in front of the TV and turn on whatever the most sought-after Blockbuster VHS was available. It could be the gloomiest of days or nights; but, as I watched the plot develop through my young lenses, and munch those warm pockets of Rotel nestled between the cheesy goodness, I was reassured that everything would be alright. If no one else could assist me in my journey of joy, I knew those nachos would. I knew my mother’s cooking would.
Below, I’m giving you my mother’s nacho cheese dip recipe (STL folks might call it “Rotel”) and my artisanal alternative. If you feel my creation is better than my mom’s, please do not ever let her know!! Thanks.
my mom’s “traditional” nachos/my nachos
ingredients:
“traditional”
3-4c canned nacho cheese dip
1/4c organic whole milk
1 can of Rotel
1lb. ground beef, cooked
1 packet of taco seasoning mix of choice, low sodium (helps you control salt levels!!!)
3T hot sauce of choice (Optional—I used tapatio!!!)
salt & pepper to taste
“my style”
3T butter
3T flour
2-3 roasted poblanos, roasted, destemmed + deseeded
8oz. OR 1c mild cheddar, shredded
2oz. OR 1/4c white mozzarella cheese, shredded
2oz. OR 1/4c oaxaca cheese, shredded
2-3c milk
1/2T cumin
1/2T onion powder
1/2T garlic powder
1/4c salsa roja (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
optional: lightly sprinkle with chili powder
chips:
homemade or store-bought tortilla chips or doritos
Note: if you're making them homemade, I do recommend frying them a bit hard to help stand the cheese dip.
Helpful items:
small dutch oven
rubber spatula
strainer
sauce pan
whisk
recipe (traditional):
In a medium sauce pan set to medium high, place ground beef and cook until browned. Drain meat with strainer and place back into sauce pan. Add taco seasoning mix and follow instructions of packet. Add salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.
Avoid adding too much salt as cheese dip is already salty.
In a small dutch oven set to medium low, add in nacho dip and continuously stir with spatula to avoid burning. As the nacho dip begins to loosen, add milk and continuously stir until milk has fully mixed with cheese dip. After the milk and nacho dip have become fully homogenous, add in hot sauce and continuously stir until hot sauce is fully mixed with cheese dip.
Kill/Turn off the heat and add rotel and ground beef. Mix thoroughly and reset the stove to medium high. Stir continuously until nacho dip has reached reasonable heat levels. Take off the heat and serve immediately with chips of choice. Enjoy!
recipe (my style):
Set oven to highest broil. In an aluminum lined baking sheet, place 3 poblano peppers and place into oven’s middle rack. Cook for 5-6 minutes OR until peppers have charred. Flip and cook an additional 5-6 minutes OR until other side has charred. Remove from oven and carefully cover baking sheet and peppers with aluminum foil. This will help keep the residual steam of the peppers and allow the skin to thoroughly peel off. Allow peppers to steam for 15 minutes. Once the peppers have steamed and cooled, slowly peel off the charred skin and remove the stems and seeds from peppers. Roughly chop or dice. Set aside.
In a medium-size pot set to medium high, place butter and flour. Continuously whisk to avoid burning into a paste like substance or flour smell has dissipated. As the flour and butter begin to come together, slowly add milk in small doses while continuously whisking until ingredients are homogenized. Add in oaxaca, mozzarella and cheddar. Kill the heat and slowly fold mixture with kitchen spatula until the cheese has completely melted inside. Gradually raise heat back up to medium-low if cheese is taking long to melt. Add diced poblano peppers, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir. Add salsa roja. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or keep warm on low. Top with a little chili powder when serving. Enjoy!
Note: If queso is a bit clumpy, then you should continue to fold. If queso is a bit runny, you can add some more mozzarella cheese to the mix. If queso is a bit too thick, you can add a 1/4c of milk at a time and fold. The queso will also thicken a bit more once cooled down.
