Copycat Applebee's Neighborhood Nachos Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced white onion
• 2 teaspoon minced fresh jalapeño
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups grated American cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh jalapeño
• Salt, to taste
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 12 ounces ground beef
• 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
• 1 bag white corn tortilla chips
• 1 cup grated Colby Jack cheese
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup guacamole
• 1 jalapeño, sliced

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. 2

   To make the queso blanco, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

3. 3

   Once hot, add the onion and jalapeño, and saute for 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the cream to the saucepan, stir to combine with the veggies, and bring to a simmer.

5. 5

   Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the American cheese and Monterey Jack cheese in batches, whisking until the cheese has melted before adding the next batch.

6. 6

   Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. (If the sauce becomes too thick over time, thin it with a little extra cream and water.)

7. 7

   To make the pico, place the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño in a medium bowl. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt. Set aside.

8. 8

   To make the taco beef, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

9. 9

   Once hot, add the ground beef, and cook until brown, about 5 minutes.

10. 10

    Season the beef with taco seasoning, stir to combine, and continue to cook for 1 minute more.

11. 11

    To assemble the nachos, place the tortilla chips in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

12. 12

    Sprinkle the tortilla chips with grated Colby Jack cheese.

13. 13

    Drizzle the queso blanco sauce over the chips (reserve any remaining queso blanco for additional dipping) and evenly distribute the ground beef over the chips and place the pan in the oven.

14. 14

    Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the grated cheese has melted.

15. 15

    Remove the nachos from the oven and top with half of the pico de gallo (reserve the remaining for additional dipping).

16. 16

    Dollop the nachos with sour cream and guacamole.

17. 17

    Top the nachos with jalapeño slices before serving.