Restaurants are full of lazy nachos. You’re all excited to dive into a shared appetizer with beers and cocktails only to have hopes dashed, dreams crushed. They’re often a soggy, overloaded mess with unbalanced cheese distribution — the laziest feature of all.
The nachos created by chefs Josh Habiger (Bastion) and Maneet Chauhan (Chauhan Ale & Masala House) are anything but lazy. And they’re not the predictable “tweezer” nachos you might expect from top-tier chefs. Instead, they take the intentional middle ground with nachos that say, “We want you to have a really great snack.” Bastion’s nachos, the only food option on the bar menu, are completely classic (and are even better with their house smoked pork) while Chauhan’s nachos take you on a trip to India with spicy minced lamb keema. Both hit the mark on quality, balance, and fun.
With fall sports in full swing, consider a few championship tips for intentional nachos at home with attention to detail and no tweezers required.
- Serve nachos on a pan that goes straight from oven to table. Let everyone dive into your masterpiece as it was created — not as individual servings. Even Bastion’s nachos are served on little foil-lined baking pans.
- Shred your own cheese and use good quality, sturdy corn chips.
- Layer chips, cheese, chips, cheese for good coverage and balance.
- Make two shorter batches instead of a too-tall single batch.
- Resist the urge to over-top with wet ingredients that make a soggy mess. Artfully place the sour cream and guacamole to the side so folks can curate their own bites.
- Use your favorite toppings. Go crazy or classic; it’s up to you.
- With great nachos, both quality and quantity count.
