Holy Guacamole Nachos

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Colin Hanks, star of the TV show "Life in Pieces" and director of the documentary All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records, expresses his undying love for guacamole in these nachos. “There is nothing I do not like about guacamole. I could live off of chips and guac,” he says. “In fact, I have tried on numerous occasions. I just want to put it on everything.” Indeed, these nachos are not only served with Hanks’s favorite guacamole recipe, they’re also layered with that recipe’s deconstructed ingredients — tomato, red onion, avocado, cilantro, lime, and his secret weapon, pureed chipotle peppers in adobo, which lends a smokiness to the guacamole and distributes the heat better than the more common chopped jalapeño or serrano peppers.

Holy Guacamole Nachos
Photo: © W&P Design
Yield:
4 to 6
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1⁄2 cup sour cream

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1 tablespoon pureed canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

  • 8 to 10 ounces tortilla chips (1 medium bag)

  • 6 ounces (1 1⁄2 cups) coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese

  • 2 avocados—halved, pitted and diced

  • 1⁄2 cup finely chopped red onion

  • 1 large tomato, seeds and pulp removed, diced (about 2 cups)

  • 1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Smoky Guacamole

  • 3 avocados, halved and pitted

  • Juice of half a lime, plus more to taste

  • 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

  • 2 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons pureed canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Make the Smoky Guacamole

    In a bowl, use a fork to lightly mash the avocados with the lime juice, leaving the avocado as chunky as you like. Stir in the onion, tomatoes, chipotle puree and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and more lime juice, if needed. Cover the surface with plastic wrap until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, lime juice, and chipotle puree until combined. Set the crema aside until ready to use.

  3. Assemble the nachos

    Arrange the chips on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the chips. Top with the avocado, onion and tomato and the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted but not browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drizzle with the chipotle crema, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with Smoky Guacamole on the side.

Reprinted from ¡Buenos Nachos! by Gina Hamadey. Copyright © 2016 by W&P Design. Published by Dovetail

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