Loaded Nachos

These are Pioneer Woman's nachos and they are deeeeee-lish! I mean, I love these! Especially with the jalapeños! And, no, the jalapeños aren't spicy after you cook them, for those of you who live in the South and can't abide anything spicier than bone marrow (not trying to hurt anyone's feelings). You can't even taste them, it just looks prettier. Maybe you can taste them, I don't know. They seem to have a lot more flavor than the ones without the jalapeños, though, so maybe it just adds some flavor. But trust me, you'll love these.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 lbs ground beef 
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 can (14-5 oz) black beans
• tortilla chips
• 1-1/2 c grated cheddar cheese (diy)
• 1-1/2 c grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 jalapeño, chopped

salsa 

• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 jalapeño, diced finely
• 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp salt

optional toppings

• 1 whole avocado, pitted and diced (not optional for me!)
• sour cream 

INSTRUCTIONS

I'm sorry guys, but there are so many words in the instructions that I don't want to take the time to write them all down by "hand", so if you'll excuse me, I'm just going to copy and paste...take or add a few words, because Pioneer Woman uses half an onion, I just use all of it. Besides, it's not any spicier and let me tell you it's wayy faster to just cut up all of it and toss it in. Well, if you don't count crying over it, then it's easier. Half of an onion doesn't get to your heart as much as a whole onion does. It's touching. So, I know it's so unoriginal, but at least you get Pioneer Woman instead of me! That's good, right?

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and the (diced) onion. Cook it until starting to soften, then add the ground beef. Cook the meat until it's totally browned. This is the part where Pioneer Woman (no, this is not copied, this is me) drains the fat. Are you kidding? Ain't nobody got time fo dat! So, just let it cook a little. Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Add the beans and stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. To make the salsa, lightly blend all ingredients in the food processor, the way we always make salsa. (Or, you can just use your own salsa recipe! I know, shocking, you don't have to follow a recipe! Who knew?)
3. To build the nachos, place a layer of tortilla chips on a platter or plate. Top with a layer of the beef/bean mixture, then all but 1/4 cup of the cheddar cheese. Add another layer of chips, another layer of the beef/bean mixture, and the Monterey Jack cheese. Add a final small layer of chips, then a small layer of beef and beans, then a final sprinkling of cheddar. Top with chopped jalapeño.
4. Place the sheet into a 325 degree oven. Just leave it in until the cheese is melted.
5. Immediately sprinkle on the diced avocado and plenty of salsa.
6. Optional: Add dollops of sour cream here and there! (See, she put the avocado down in the "optional toppings" list, but she includes it as non-optional in the instructions! Soooo, I think we can all agree we're supposed to put avocados on?)
7. Serve immediately and 

P.S. Sorry for the funky sizing of the font...for some reason it won't just be the normal size that it's supposed to be. But oh well, as long as you can read my witty comments about this whole endeavor, then who cares how small it is. ;)