It's Nacho Cheese!
Photo credit: @vanessamphotography
If it’s nacho cheese, whose cheese is it? It’s all mine!! I know you may not believe this but there really is a national day set aside for Nachos Day! Mark it on the calendar - National Nachos Day is on November 6th! In case you need a refresher, in its simplest form, Nachos is a dish that consists of tortilla chips and nacho cheese (a.k.a melted cheese).
According to Nationaldaycalendar.com, nachos were first created in 1943. The site names Ignaci “Nacho” Anaya as the person who created the popular dish. Ignaci lived in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico which is on the border of Eagle Pass, Texas. As the story goes, there was a group of U.S. military wives stationed at Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass who went to Piedras Negras to shop. When they were finished shopping, they were so hungry that they stopped into a restaurant for a snack before heading back home to Texas. Ignaci, the maitre ‘d, didn’t have much food left since it was at the very end of the day. Improvising, he quickly served them warm homemade tortilla chips with cheese which had melted. The wives went back home and raved about their snack. Soon the dish became so popular that it was nicknamed “nachos especiales” - special nachos and that is how nachos were invented. Another fun fact, nationaldaycalendar.com claims that in 1954, St. Anne’s Cookbook has the first (original) Nachos recipe recorded.
All of this information is getting me hungry. National Nachos Day is another excuse for me to eat one of my favorite foods! Here are my top 8 reasons why I can eat nachos every week:
Nachos ingredients are simple/convenient - we always have a bag of tortilla chips in our cupboard and almost as likely, we always have cheese (in any form) in the fridge. Even sliced cheese works because it melts anyway.
Nachos are easy to assemble and “cook” - Lay tortilla chips on a pan if you choose to bake in the oven @ 350 for 10-15 minutes or broil for 3-5 minutes. If you’re going to zap it in the microwave, use a plate and cook for a minute or two on a high setting. The goal is to melt the cheese which simultaneously warms the chips.
Nachos are a crowd pleaser - the additional ingredients that you choose to put on top of the tortilla chips and cheese can satisfy the vegetarian (even vegan if you wish) AND it could be a carnivore’s haven. The options are endless and this dish is so versatile.
Nachos checks off all the food groups - this is my favorite reason why I love nachos. I throw anything from fresh spinach leafs or steamed asparagus to add “greens” to this dish. I like my nachos to have a lot of different colors. In using the colors of the rainbow - I am eating lots of fresh veggies and fruit (sometimes mango but always tomato and avocado) AND I have the guilty pleasure of salty chips and melted cheese! An important note: There is no judging here - if you want to pile on the Velveeta or use cheese that comes out of a can - you go for it - that’s why I said all the food groups are represented here!
Nachos are the Mexican version of the leftover answer - in my post entitled National Fried Rice Day, I mentioned that fried rice is the Filipino answer to using up the leftovers. Nachos are pretty much the same thing. The only difference is that the base is chips and cheese instead of rice. The toppings can be anything you have in the fridge. Maybe you don’t have enough leftovers to make a full meal or the food is boring alone - putting whatever it is on nachos will make a meal or could give it an exotic twist if chips and cheese are added. Leftover scrambled eggs? Throw them on there. You didn’t finish all of your MN Tater Tot Hotdish? Throw it on the nachos. It’s basic but it solves some meal issues, am I right?
Nachos are fun to eat - If you’re looking for a knife and fork type of dish, this is not one. But fingers grabbing and dipping and searching for the perfect ratio of chip to topping, this is what this dish is all about. Sure, you may use a utensil to assist in eating but this dish is completely portable. A bonus feature is that it can withstand the constant start/stop motion -interruptions - especially when watching a football game.
Nachos can be eaten anytime of the day - let’s face it, Chilaquiles is a fancy term for eating nachos for breakfast. Nachos can be a nutritional lunch (see #4), a perfect snack or a filling dinner. I guess you can eat nachos for dessert too if you’re into that. But probably the most popular time of the day to eat nachos is a late night snack. It’s a 24 hour dish!
Nachos can be eaten at any temperature - this could mean the temperature outside and the temperature of the dish. I, like most, prefer to eat nachos when they are warm and the cheese is melted. However, I tell you what, many of us will continue to eat nachos hours after they are made because although the dish isn’t warm, you can still enjoy the salty, cheesy flavors. Who cares if the chips aren’t as crunchy anymore? As for the weather, well, nachos on a warm , sunny day is a great way to soak up the sun and when it’s below zero out here - nachos can really hit the spot!
I’m stopping at eight reasons for why I could eat nachos every week because it’s now time to pinch your fellow nachos lover. Being thoughtful takes guts. If you can be brave in thought, you be brave in giving. Make some nachos as a thoughtful pinch and deliver them to make someone’s day! Maybe they’ll even share them with you.
Pinches,
Barb
