Bankhead's Nacho Mountain - Cooking in flip flops

Bankhead’s Yummy Nacho Mountain!

My girlfriend Bankhead makes this dish and it is absolutely the best….and, yes, that really is her name. Turns out that Bankhead is an old family name and someone was gracious enough to give it to her! Born in Alabama, my girl is the epitome of Southern grace and manners and charm..with a nice little touch of a salty sailor or two thrown in…just to mix it up for fun… ahem….

Bankhead and I, along with our trusty men and two other couples, Ho & Bev and Don & T.Sue, chartered a catamaran in the British Virgin Islands this past Spring for a long awaited bare-boat cruise. Oh my goodness…the best trip ever, ever, ever, ever. So, since we were on our own for sailing and food…we made up a menu and each couple brought various amazing meals so we ate like kings and queens. Amazing trip that everyone should consider doing before they die….at the very top of a bucket list.

One of the meals that BB brought was this Nacho Mountain. She cooked the meat ahead of time, froze it and then assembled it on the boat…in that teeny little galley. Oh, it was so good, it was hot, spicy, cheesy goodness…Tex-Mex at it’s finest…with huge flavored taco meat and gooey cheese…OMG…. I was elated (!!!) that we had leftovers for happy hour the next day!! Clearly, I’m in love with this dish. Sorry……ummm… am I drooling? Sorry…sorry, sorry.

ANYWAY…keep this recipe and make it often…you will not be sorry.. And, while you’re at it…Put on some flip flops, get out the tortilla chips and guac and salsa, and those great beer margaritas and let everyone make a big plate of nachos or tacos…..and then….turn the FUNK music up loud (hey, that’s BB’s thing, not mine!) and what do you have…instant party….Cheers!!!

Bankhead’s Nacho Mountain

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6-8
Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbs garlic, chopped
1 can of Rotel tomatoes & chiles
2 pkgs dry taco seasoning mix
1 can refried beans
1 can beef broth or 1 beef bouillon cube
8oz sour cream, thinned with milk or water
2 cups grated cheese, cheddar, Mex mix…

Directions:

Saute ground chuck in a large skillet on high heat, breaking it up into small pieces until browned, then add onions, garlic, Rotel, taco seasoning packet and beef broth (or 3/4 cup water with 1 beef bouillon cube). Stir and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or so. I like the meat to be kind of loose and I often add more water to thin it out some.
Meanwhile, spread the refried beans evenly in the bottom of a good sized casserole dish. I used a Corelle 2.8 liter (3 quart) deep dish. Pour meat mixture over the beans and spread evenly,
Now top with sour cream, thinned with a bit of water or milk…then top evenly with grated cheese.
If you can wait, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. And, once again, since I’m not the most patient person in the world…I microwave it till it gets nice and hot and bubbly…Ha!
This dish makes the most delicious nachos or tacos with hot taco seasoned meat and gooey melted cheese with crunchy, salty tortilla chips. OMG – Yum, yum, yum!!