[1] Homemade nachos (photo © Chee Hong | Wikimedia).

[2] You can make them as simple or as layered as you like. This verson has both salsa and crema (sour cream—photo © Natasha Bhogal | Unsplash).

November 6th is National Nachos Day. Who doesn’t enjoy a hearty plate of nachos for a snack, or even for the main course? They’re the easiest Mexican dish to make at home.

At the most minimal, you can simply cover tortilla chips with shredded Cheddar or other semi-hard cheese, with or without salsa; then use the microwave or broiler to melt the cheese.

Serve the nachos with a beer or a Margarita, of course.
 
 
NACHOS FULLY LOADED

You can get creative with your nachos, adding anything you have on hand. You can add a couple of extra ingredients, or go fully loaded.

Our favorite add-ons to nachos:

 
For visual and flavor interest, use a mix of yellow and blue corn tortillas (for Independence Day, use red, white and blue).

And for a more legitimate main course, here’s a recipe for Nacho Stuffed Shells, “nacho pasta.”
 
 
FOOD TRIVIA

In Mexico, nachos are called totopos, the word for tortilla chips (totopos).

French fries, potato chips and even popcorn are sometimes substituted for the tortilla chips.

Nachos are an example of necessity being the mother of invention.

As the story goes, in 1943 a group of Army wives from Fort Duncan, in Eagle Pass, Texas, had gone over the border to Piedras Negras, Mexico, on a shopping trip. By the time they arrived at the Victory Club (Club Victoria) restaurant, the kitchen was closed.

But the accommodating maître d’hôtel, Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya (Nacho is a nickname for Ignacio), threw together a snack for the ladies from what was available in the kitchen: tortillas and cheese.

He cut the tortillas into triangles, added shredded Cheddar cheese, quickly heated them and garnished the dish with sliced jalapeño chiles.

When asked what the tasty dish was called, he answered, “Nacho’s especiales,” Nacho’s Special. It was an instant hit.