Creative toppings for nachos

Another guest post by my friend Leigh.  Thank you. 

Nachos are a popular favorite for parties, get-togethers, or for an evening meal. Traditional nachos are always good options, but do you ever get tired of the same ingredients? 

Why not go for something a little more unusual or creative? Ways you can add a creative touch or spice up nachos are plentiful. From different meats to vegetables and specific tastes, the sky's the limit when looking to make creative toppings for nachos unique taste for your nacho recipe.

Vary the meat

Typically ground beef or chili is a popular topper, but why not be a little different and try making nachos with a bit of shrimp and fresh-squeezed lime? If seafood isn't appealing, you can also go the BBQ route and use pulled pork or chicken; perhaps a sausage and bell pepper mix, or simply spice it up a bit with some chorizo.

If you're looking to entertain kids, try cutting up chicken nuggets in small bite sizes, place atop the nacho chips, cover with shredded cheese and bake for a few minutes. Serve with their favorite dips, either on top or on the side.

Tofu 

Do you like the taste of traditional meat-topped nachos, but don't want your dish to be focused on meat? Try substituting tofu chili for a variation. Or stir-fry tofu up with some of your favorite veggies.

Go veggie

A variety of vegetables are nicely paired with nacho chips. You can go basic with slices of tomato, grilled zucchini or eggplant, mushrooms or roasted peppers. For toppings try traditional salsa, balsamic vinegar mix or guacamole.

Here's a very unique idea, eggplant caponata.

"You won't often find eggplant served on top of tortilla chips, but they make a hearty, vegetarian topping. And if you're looking for a little complexity of flavor, opt for caponata; it's sweet and vinegary and tastes amazing with melted mozzarella," suggests Kitchen Daily (via Huffington Post).

Pizza nachos

Another kid-friendly idea is pizza nachos. A twist on an old favorite, pizza nachos are made with chips, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and any favorite toppings.

Dessert nachos

Instead of going for salty, try a sweet approach instead. Try unsalted flour tortilla chips sprinkled these with cinnamon and sugar, sour cream or crème fraîche. Top it all off with your favorite sweets such as chocolate chips, coconut flakes, berries or ice cream.

The cool thing about these is the sky's the limit on making creative toppings for nachos. Mix and match some of your favorite flavors and create your own nacho masterpiece.