Nacho Pie

Last week of June in Tulsa. Brayden is thirty-nine weeks old — nine months on Wednesday. The Bryant grandparents arrive next Tuesday for the thirteen-day visit. The apartment has been the focus of small organizational projects this week — the spare bedroom (which has been mostly a catch-all office since Brayden was born) is being reset as the day-time grandparents-zone with a fresh-washed throw, a stack of board books, the rocking chair from the living room, a small bin of teething toys.

The nacho pie is the kind of casserole that is exactly what it sounds like — layered crushed tortilla chips, seasoned ground beef, refried beans, salsa, and shredded cheddar in a pie plate, baked at three-fifty for twenty-five minutes, topped with sour cream, sliced green onions, chopped tomato, and shredded lettuce after the bake. The dish is half-nacho, half-casserole, and the form factor means it can be served as a slice on a plate.

The technique question is the chip-base. The chips need to be crushed but not pulverized — medium-coarse chunks rather than fine crumbs — so the base has structure when sliced. The middle layer of meat and beans needs to be wet enough to bind the chips but not so wet that the chips dissolve. The cheese on top needs to melt fully but not brown so much that it goes tough.

Sunday I made it. Brayden had a tablespoon of the plain refried bean layer (no chip, no meat, no cheese) which the pediatrician had recently approved as a new addition to his solids rotation. Dustin had two slices with hot sauce. The dish is the kind of dinner the apartment will eat through the year as Brayden gets old enough to participate in family-meal in the same form factor as the adults.

Nacho Pie

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 can (16 oz) refried beans
• 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
• 3 cups tortilla chips, slightly crushed, divided
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup salsa, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish or similar baking dish.
2. Brown the beef. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat. Stir in taco seasoning and water; simmer 2 minutes until thickened.
3. Layer the base. Press 2 cups of the crushed tortilla chips into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared dish. Spread the refried beans evenly over the chips.
4. Add the beef layer. Spoon the seasoned ground beef over the beans and spread evenly. Top with the drained diced tomatoes and green chiles.
5. Add cheese. Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded cheese over the top. Scatter the remaining 1 cup of chips over the cheese.
6. Bake. Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top in the last 5 minutes of baking.
7. Top and serve. Remove from the oven and dollop with sour cream. Scatter sliced black olives and green onions over the top. Serve immediately with salsa on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 890mg