Recipe: Chicken-Chile Nachos

A note about the chiles: the original recipe used a local variety of fresh roasted chiles, Hot Sandias. Canned green chiles can be substituted, but will be substantially more mild.

Green chiles, about 3 cans, drained
1 cup chicken broth (or water + bouillon)
1 Tb. minced garlic
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced onion
2 chicken breast halves, cooked
2 Tb. flour
1/3 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips
Sliced green onions

1. Combine chiles, chicken broth, and garlic in a saucepan. Heat over the stove to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer to reduce (let water boil away until the mixture is saucy). Stir occasionally.
2. Saute onion and celery in oil in a large frying pan.
3. Cube chicken and add to frying pan. Coat evenly with flour and stir while heating on medium. Salt chicken if desired. Pour in the milk and stir constantly until the flour and milk have thickened into a sauce. Lower heat to low. Sprinkle cheese over chicken, and cover to let cheese melt.
4. To serve, scoop chicken mixture on top of tortilla chips, add some green chile sauce, and garnish with green onions.

Mmmmmmmm.

Maybe now they'll let me stay

Today I made what may be the best chicken-chile-cheese nachos in the world. Quite possibly. At least, they were so good that I ate too much!

Here in New Mexico it's all about the green chiles. So while at the Farmer's Market yesterday, I picked up some fire-roasted Sandia Hots, knowing I could easily make my husband happy just by trying. Today I thought maybe they could make some good green enchilada sauce, so I peeled, seeded, and chopped them while chicken cooked in the oven. It was taking a while, so I decided chicken-chile casserole might be easier. And finally, as Liam whined and tugged at my pants incessantly, it became just nachos.

But what a good choice. The chicken was cubed, along with celery and onions in a creamy sauce; the chiles went into a pot with garlic and chicken broth to turn saucy. Cheddar melted on the finished chicken completed it. I put corn tortilla chips on my plate, followed by chicken, the chile sauce, and some sliced green onion. MMmmmmmm.

And yes, my husband was very happy.