Nacho Bites -- A Hit With The Brooklyn Gang!

Are you in an hors d'oeuvres rut?

It's so easy for me to fall back on the same old-same old, 
whenever company comes. 

Usually, I'm super-focused on baking desserts, 

so I tend to take the easy way out when it comes to appetizers, 
and rely on the usual.

However, when the Brooklyn Gang came this past weekend,

I wanted to shake things up a bit, 
and try out a few new "hor-doovers."

(That's how people from Brooklyn talk, seriously).

What caused this sudden desire for hors d'oeuvre diversity?

These friends always bring amazing desserts, 

so I'm off the hook for that part of the meal.

And -- the hosting family almost always orders take-out for the main course,

so I don't have to worry about that, either.

Works for me!

That gave me some time to concentrate on whipping up 
a few hors d'oeuvres that were different from my usual fare.

I did serve a few standards, like cheese, crudite, 
and pigs in the blanket (which are a MUST with this group!), 

but I made three new recipes. 

And you know me...they have to be easy as pie...

or maybe I should say, Pi, since their visit was on 3.14.15.

I wanted to serve nachos, but one thing that drives me crazy, 
is that all the cheesy good stuff is on the top,

while all the chips underneath are bare-naked. 

I'd seen some mini nachos on Pinterest awhile back,

where each chip gets equal nacho-ness distribution,

and I decided to try my own version.

I started with gluten-free Veggie Dippin' Chips. 
(No, I'm not getting paid for this, I just like the chips).

 Tostito Scoops would also work well.

 




I filled them with about a teaspoon of fat-free refried beans...

Sprinkled some shredded cheese over each one...

and baked them at 350°for about two minutes until the cheese was nice and melty. 

Next, I added a dollop of guacamole. I used store-bought to save time...

...and finished with a touch of pico de gallo - also store-bought - on top.
(Detailed recipe below)

The nacho bites were a HIT! 

OK, full disclosure here...one of the guys didn't like the cheese 
(I used a Mexican blend), 

so when I made the second batch, 
I used a light white cheddar, and medium cheddar.

Mikey liked it!

It was unanimous!

We always have a great time when the Brooklyn Gang gets together.

It should be noted that no one actually lives in Brooklyn anymore,

but you know what they say...

You can take the boys out of Brooklyn, 
but you can't take Brooklyn out of the boys.
I swear, they have their own language in Brooklyn 
that only vaguely resembles English. 

Nacho Bites

Bag of dip/scoop chips (such as Party-tizer's Dippin' Chips or Tostito's Scoops)
12 oz. shredded Mexican blend cheese

16 oz. can fat-free refried beans
16 oz. guacamole

12 oz. pico de gallo

Preheat oven to 350°
Spread chips on a baking sheet. 
Fill with about 1 teaspoon of refried beans.
Sprinkle with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of shredded cheese.
Bake for 1-2 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Put a dollop (about 1/2 tablespoon) of guacamole on top of melted cheese.
Top with a teaspoon of pico de gallo.
Serve immediately.

Yield: Varies, but you should get at least 48 nachos.  

As always, we had lots of laughs...talked about kids, weddings, grandkids, 

college, food, health, vacations, and, of course...

the good old days in Brooklyn...

when a subway token cost 20 cents, and $2 would fill the gas tank.

I, of course, am too young to remember any of that :)

 Ah, them were the days...

when real men ate knishes, and nachos were macho.

Or something like that.

Linking With:
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