Loaded Chipotle Chicken Nachos

It’s fall and that means one thing for this girl: football season! Saturdays are dedicated to my UW Huskies (Go Dawgs!) and Sundays I cheer on my beloved Seahawks (Go Hawks!) Not only do I look forward to camping out on the couch for hours on end watching football all weekend but, big surprise, I plan out my game day food the entire week leading up to kickoff.

One week, Cole and I had a hankering for nachos. Let me rephrase: Cole and I always have a hankering for nachos (we kind of have a thing for Mexican food). But on this particular Dawg Saturday, we knew nachos just had to happen.

The best part about nachos is that you pretty much always have things on hand to make even the most basic of nachos happen. I love this version because it utilizes chicken you simply pop into a slow cooker with a few flavor boosters like chipotle peppers in adobo. The slow cooker creates perfectly shreddable, nacho-worthy chicken. Then it’s all about the cheese, beans and the rest of your nacho toppings. These babies are fully loaded, spicy, creamy and smoky - the perfect compliment to game day festivities!

Loaded Chipotle Chicken Nachos

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 6 oz or half a bottle of good beer (I used a pale ale)

• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 bag of Juanita’s tortilla chips

• 1 16 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup of grated Monterey jack cheese

• 3 green onions, chopped, for serving

• Cilantro, chopped, for serving

• Sour cream, for serving

• Rick Bayless Frontera Salsa, for serving, like the roasted tomato or jalapeno cilantro variety

Directions

Place chicken breasts at the bottom of a slow cooker and pour about half a bottle of beer over the top of the breasts. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, two chipotle peppers and a drizzle of adobo sauce. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 or low for 4-6 hours until chicken is tender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once chicken is fork tender, take two forks and begin to shred the chicken in its juices in the crock pot. Spread a thin layer of tortilla chips in a baking dish. Top with half of shredded chicken, black beans and cheese. Top with one more layer of tortilla chips, shredded chicken, black beans and cheese. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and salsa.