Monday, December 2, 2013

Barbecue Turkey Nachos or Thanksgiving 2.0

Okay, Thanksgiving.  It's like the food Olympics (am I even allowed to say that?)  But now what?  It's over, and I have a whole bunch of leftover Thanksgiving crowding up my fridge.  I can only have so many bowls of microwaved green bean casserole and cold turkey sandwiches.  And now that I'm moving on to Christmas candy and cookie making, I just really need the real estate.  So, what to do with this entire turkey breast? 

Well, thanks to my good friend Allyson, here's the solution.  She really is the best at making nachos, this is not the first time we've incorporated turkey. 

So put down the bread, pick up the avocado, and everything will be right in the world.


Barbecue Turkey Nachos

Printable Recipe

You'll Need...
Tortilla chips, about 30
2 cups leftover turkey, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup prepared BBQ sauce
1 cup shredded cheese

Method...
This part is easy.  Preheat the oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with foil (to facilitate easy cleanup of course).  Spread out the chips in a single layer on the foil lined sheet, and set aside. 

Pick and chop/shred the turkey.  Combine it with the barbecue sauce in a medium mixing bowl.  You may want to use a little more or a little less barbecue sauce.  I used about 1/2 cup, I wanted the turkey to be coated in the sauce, but not dripping in it.

Once the turkey is sauced (hehe), distribute it evenly over the chips, and top the whole thing with shredded cheese.  Put the whole thing in the oven for 10-15 minutes - remember, everything is cooked, we're just warming and melting at this point.
And obviously, you'll need to top these nachos with delicious things like sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo.  The grocery store has some great fresh salsa and guacamole options, but I really like to make my own guac, and if I'm going to do that, I may as well make my own pico too, since I already have all the pieces.

Pico de Gallo

Printable Recipe

You'll Need...
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons poblano pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste

Method...
This is completely a chop and combine situation.  I try to keep my tomatoes and onions roughly the same size and combine in a small bowl.   Reserve about 2 tablespoons of each to use in the guacamole.  Chop the cilantro, dice the garlic and poblano and combine with the tomatoes and onions, top the mixture with a healthy squeeze of lime juice, sprinkle on a little salt, and stir to combine.  Set aside for 30 minutes before serving.

Guacamole

Printable Recipe

You'll Need...
1 avocado, halved, seeded
2 tablespoons tomato, finely diced
2 tablespoons onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper to taste

Method...
Halve the avocado and remove the seed.  Scoop out the flesh of the avocado into a small bowl and squeeze the lime juice over it - this will help keep the avocado from browning, and also be delicious.  Stir in the tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic and spices, then get smashing until you reach your desire guacamole consistency.   It's also worth noting that this recipe easily scales up.  I only use one avocado because I just have two people to feed.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

TIP!  Make a little extra pico de gallo, and just take a scoop of that for the guacamole.  I run my knife through it another time or two, because I like the pieces to be smaller in this application, but just go with what feels right.

The Amateur Gourmet would say that my guacamole isn't authentic, and that's totally okay with me.  I guess that authentic guacamole doesn't have garlic (which is wrinkling my brain).  But I don't care, I will continue to put garlic in my guacamole, I'll consider lemon juice, and I'll experiment with more spice.  But for now, I'll just be proud of myself for eating all the "good fats" in avocados.

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