Nachos and a movie night....

On Friday nights we love to have a movie night and after a busy spring break it was much deserved. We had a nice and easy dinner and an even easier dessert. I made nachos, pico de gallo, and cookie ice cream sandwiches. We enjoyed the delicious food while watching the Fellowship of the Ring.

I love making my own chips from corn tortillas. It is also my little munchkin's favorite snack. All it takes is cutting corn tortillas into sixths, then fry them in 350 degree oil (I use canola oil) until golden brown, sprinkle with a little salt and let drain on paper towels.

     

 Then I made Pico de Gallo, a fresh blend of tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice. Normally it would include a jalapeno or serrano pepper but I was out of them and forgot to buy more so this version is mild. I would however recommend adding your favorite fresh pepper for a little spicy kick.

Get all the veggies washed, cleaned and diced, then toss it all together in a bowl and season with the lime juice, salt and pepper.

Let it set in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight to get the best flavor.

Now it's time to get all the other ingredients together. We had leftover fajita meat so I used that, but you could use taco meat, grilled chicken or even go meatless. For the other toppings we had refried beans, pickled jalapenos, shredded cheddar cheese and hot sauce. You can use whatever toppings you like, everyone has their favorites.

We cook our nachos family style in the oven, then add the cold toppings to each person's plate. So I lay out a good amount of chips on a sheet pan, lightly coated with non-stick spray, top with dollops of beans (they are easier to put on if you warm them first), meat and cheese. Then I bake it in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. When all the cheese is nice and melted take them out and divide among your plates and top as desired. My little man likes them plain, so unless we have sour cream (which we didn't this time) he takes them straight out of the oven. My husband and I like them with pickled peppers, pico de gallo and hot sauce.

Following dinner we had a super simple dessert. I took store bought cookies and store bought ice cream and made sandwiches. Easy and quick. Sometimes I will make the cookies and the ice cream from scratch but after a busy week I am fine with the super simple quick method. ;-)

Pico de Gallo

4 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeds removed and diced
2-3 limes worth of juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl, then refrigerate at least an hour to overnight. Eat with fresh made tortilla chips.