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A Great Snack for the Big Game

Sweetgrass Next Door

Looking to score a touchdown at your Super Bowl party? It's all about the snacks.

While chicken wings and sliders are popular game-day favorites, when it comes to quarterbacking the buffet, there's one dish on the must-have list: nachos.

This crowd-pleasing party dish is quick and easy to make, and with so many potential chip, cheese, and topping combinations, the field is wide open.

I called in Ryan Trimm, chef and owner of Sweetgrass NextDoor and creator of Memphis’s famous “Badass Nachos” for the Game Plan, to make this super bowl classic a winner.

“It’s really important to start with a good tortilla. We get ours from La Unica Tortilleria at White Station and Summer. They make them fresh every day.”

The cheese is also a key ingredient.  Don’t use a fake liquid nacho cheese. Instead go for a blend of flavorful cheeses that melt well.  Sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack are my go-to’s. Ryan likes to make a homemade cheese sauce spiced up with chilies.

If adding meat, you want a shredded or pulled meat for easy building and eating.  Pork, chicken, or even brisket are great options for a hearty nacho.

“We like to use beef brisket on our nachos and we braise it. It makes the meat a lot more moist and it helps everything from drying out.  There is nothing worse than having dried out meat in your nachos.”

You can cook your own like Ryan or take a short-cut by picking up already-cooked meat at your favorite market or BBQ shop.

Not a meat eater, for a vegetarian version use black beans and an assortment of veggies.

And most importantly … Pay attention to the construction of your nachos.  Build them in two or three layers so that every bite is cheesy and loaded with toppings.

Sweetgrass NextDoor Badass Nachos

  • 1 Large Bowl of Tortilla Chips
  • 5 ounces Braised Beef Brisket, slightly torn
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion, julienned and sautéed
  • 1/2 Poblano Pepper, julienned and sautéed
  • 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, julienned and sautéed
  • 1/2 cup diced Tomatoes
  • 1 cup Nacho Cheese Sauce, warm
  • 1 cup Red Chili Sauce (red enchilada sauce works well too), warm
  • 1/4 cup Sour Cream
  • 1/4 cup sliced Pickled Jalapeños
  • 2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

Arrange chips in a large bowl.
Pour cheese sauce and chili sauce over the nachos.
Sauté peppers, onions, and beef brisket and arrange on top.
Finish with sour cream, tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, and cilantro.

Recipe courtesy of Ryan Trimm, chef and owner of Sweetgrass NextDoor.
 

Jennifer Chandler graduated at the top of her class from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She is a full-time mom to two daughters in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a freelance food writer, restaurant consultant, and author of four cookbooks The Southern Pantry Cookbook, Simply Salads, Simply Suppers, and Simply Grilling.