Let the madness begin! March Madness, that is. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be seeing some pretty intense college basketball rivalries hashed out on the court. This is the time of the year to reconnect with old buddies to cheer on your alma mater and of course, enjoy some game day food. When we think of foods to munch during games, we’re thinking big flavors like Sriracha Hatch-Sauced Wings, Buffalo Cauliflower, Coconut Shrimp and more. March Madness also means it’s perfectly okay to eat nachos for dinner every day from Thursday to Sunday. This year, your standard cheese nachos get a scrumptious upgrade with the ultimate BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos! While these nachos are loaded, putting them together is anything but tedious. It takes only a few minutes to prepare the pulled pork, which is then thrown into the slow cooker to cook for a few hours until fork tender. Pile the pulled pork onto crunchy tortilla chips along with your favorite toppings like tomatoes, cilantro and chiles. And of course, don’t forget that gooey melted cheese. Now that’s a slam dunk nacho recipe that’s perfect for any game day! For other delicious March Madness recipes and ideas, check out this year’s newly updated menu.
Whether you like your chiles mild, medium or hot, Melissa’s has a vast selection of chiles and peppers ranging from common jalapeno chiles to specialty finds like bhut jolokias chiles and shishito peppers. Chiles play an important role in many cuisines and are integral to giving dishes extra flavor and heat. These pulled pork nachos definitely get that extra kick of spice from the addition of chile peppers. You can use any of your favorite chiles for this recipe but we highly recommend either jalapenos, Anaheim chiles, Serrano chiles or even Red Fresno chiles. Each chile pepper brings a different kind of flavor and heat. If you’re looking for something on the mild side with a slight sweetness, Anaheim chiles are a great versatile choice. Jalapenos have more of that extra kick and boast a green vegetable flavor as opposed to Red Fresno chiles which are both hotter, sweeter and fruitier. And if you want to take things even further up a notch, then throw in some Serrano chiles if you dare. They have a Scoville rating ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 making them some of the hottest chiles commonly available.
BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos
Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the pulled pork:
- 2 and 1/2 pound pork shoulder
- 1 medium red onion
- 1/4 cup of ketchup
- 1/4 cup of dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
For the nachos:
- Tortilla chips
- BBQ Sauce
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 2 Jalapeno chiles or Anaheim chiles, Red Fresno Chiles, Serrano chiles, sliced
- 1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- Tomatoes, diced
- Cilantro, chopped
1. In a 6-quart slow cooker, place the pork shoulder inside along with the onion. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry spices. Coat the dry spice mixture onto the pork evenly. Then spread the ketchup and mustard onto the meat.
2. Cook the pork shoulder on high for around 4 hours until the meat becomes fork tender and pulls apart easily.
3. Remove the meat from the heat and place onto a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat.
4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the tortilla chips into a cast-iron pan or oven-proof skillet. Then add some of the pulled pork, BBQ sauce and cheese. Repeat these steps with a few layers of tortilla chips.
5. Place into the oven and bake for around 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese melts and becomes bubbly.
6. Top the nachos with the tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. Serve hot.