This is my compromise.
I love nachos, but nachos don’t always love me. Or my thighs.
But for some reason, salads love me. Trust me, the feeling is not mutual.
I toasted my own tortilla chips, but that was simply because we didn’t have any others in the house. I find the best tortillas for getting crispy are corn tortillas.
And anytime I make something BBQ-flavored, I love using smoked cheese. Well, I love using smoked cheese all the time, especially when I feel like consuming half a brick while mindlessly watching trashy TV.
But believe me, smoked cheese is the way to go.
This salad (nachos?) is also a great way to get in some greens! At least for me it is. We all know I have trouble with that. I chopped some arugula and spinach and just layered it on top of the chips. The crunchy chips, sweet caramelized onion and smoky cheese helped the greens go down. It was truly delicious.
I’m kinda wishing I could eat it for breakfast. Too bad I’m lazy.
BBQ Chicken Nacho Salad
serves 1
1-2 whole wheat tortillas (depending on how many chips you want)
3-4 ounces grilled chicken, marinated or seasoned with BBQ sauce or seasoning
1/4 onion, sliced and caramelized
1/4 teaspoon BBQ seasoning (I use McCormick’s)
1 1/2 cups greens (spring, arugula, spinach), chopped
1/2 ounce smoked cheddar cheese
1/2 ounce smoked gouda cheese
1-2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
Preheat oven t0 400.
Cut tortillas into triangles and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until chips are golden and crispy.
One finished, lay on a plate and top with greens, chicken, and caramelized onions. Sprinkle with BBQ seasoning. Top with cheese and BBQ sauce.
So how would you eat the nacho salad? With a fork? Or scooped up with chips?
Something exciting: I was asked to judge a dessert contest on OurKitchen Stories. I love the concept of Our Kitchen Stories because they are all about preserving family traditions when it comes to recipes and food. You guys know how much that means to me since my family’s recipes were the reason I started this blog. The contest was presented by Shop ‘n Save and had some incredible desserts! It was so hard to choose, but you have to check out the desserts below! They are truly fantastic.
Winner: White Chocolate Mousse Parfaits
Runner up: Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Runner up: Pina Colada Punch
Which one do you guys think I should try first?!
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I think I would have to eat that with a fork!
That is an awesome salad. Love the tortilla chips, they look so crispy.
I make my own taco salads too! I use Food Should Taste Good chips (Jalapeno flavor is my fav to use) and crush them up over my salad along with salsa, meat (soy crumble, fish, or chicken), greek yogurt (as my sour cream). Delicious!
Would you believe that I’ve never had proper nachos before? I would probably eat it with my fingers. Screw civilisation!
We need to get you published.
You
Are
Incredible
. (period)
I actually really love bbq sauce on top of salads….it add a fun sweetness to the mix. Love the looks of the whole dish- gorgeous lady!
I love this! Salad takes the guilt away for eating nachos
How have I gone my whole life not knowing smoked cheese existed? I feel like today is a new day.
You NEED to get some. It’s life changing.
This is one mighty fine looking salad. i could have the whole thing for breakfast like right now.
This looks SO good. What a brilliant idea!!
i love this idea!
I should SERIOUSLY not be looking at this before breakfast! I want this NOW! The combination of the smoked cheese and the BBQ sauce are genius! I am off to buy some smoked cheddar and gouda now…I just hope I can find those Tortilla Factory tortillas!
Love it! What a great way to compromise.
This sounds great, the homemade tortilla chips look delicious!
This is so right up my alley! I love BBQ nachos…this recipes added greens wouldn’t hurt!
I would definitely eat this with my bare hands
That sounds so good! I love BBQ chicken and I love nachos! Can’t wait to try it!
I would scoop it up.
I honestly don’t remember the taste of smoked cheese. I know I’ve had it but its been a long time.
It’s nifty how you can make a pile of ingredients look so pretty.
I would attack it with my hands. Saving this one…it looks great, and my husband would go nuts for it!
This looks great! I would definitely scoop it with the chips!
I eat with my hands whenever possible, no question.
You are hilarious.
Love smoked cheese, it is so much better than regular! I feel the same way with meat.
I love toasting my own chips! so much better!
Smart thinking! I love tricking my mouth into thinking I’m eating something other than salad sometimes. Works like a charm;) The cheese helps.
I want to eat everything you make. You amaze me!
I would definitely be scooping this up with the chips. Of course, I’d end up over scooping and mostly using my fingers, but seeing as it is nachos in disguise, I think using a fork would be admitting defeat.
I would use combo of the scooping and fork to get this in my mouth. This is such a good dinner.
This looks delicious!
yep i love nachos too and use way too much cheese for my own good. i never make them healthy and i should because these look mouth watering. but i wouldn’t look pretty while i shoved them in my mouth.
Smoked gouda makes my world go round
Gorgeous nacho salad!
mmm…. taco salad!
Fabulous idea!! I love BBQ chicken pizza, so this should be right up my alley!
I would use hands, hands down.
this looks great, I can almost taste the smoky.
This salad is the most amazing recipe I’ve seen in in the blog world. Ever. I was so looking forward to dinner tonight, I’m meeting friends at an Oyster Bar, but not anymore. I just want to stay home and munch on this. Well at least I have something to look forward to tomorrow night.
Hahaha you are too funny. Thank you so much!
I’m gonna say that the scoop is the way to go here ! Am I right, or am I right ?
If it has ‘nacho’ in the title, I’m in ! lol
I can always count on you for awesome recipes.
I am totally making this sometime this weekend.
Thank YOU!
Can I just say thank you??? I looked at the picture of these beautiful nachos and did NOT want to vomit. They actually look good!! I think you are an ANGEL for posting this… you have given me hope that I will eat normal yummy food again!!
very nice twist on a typical taco salad! love the nacho version with chicken SO MUCH BETTER! its no wonder i love your blog so much, these recipes are too incredible!
xoxo
Thanks so much!
That looks so good! I would eat it by scooping with the chips, or I would crunch up the chips and use a fork
Your recipes are so creative!!! I love them!!! I pretty much save everyone you post!!! I need to get cooking, I am so behind…
Thank you!
i personally like the fork-finger combo. use the fork for the little pieces, the fingers for the big pieces, and then you tongue to lick the plate clean
oh anything that can be scooped up w/ chips, that’s the way to go!
and the last post the pumpkin spice brekkie cakes, sorry that I totalllllllly spaced out that comment/post. Whoops, lots of lameness on my brain yesterday. And dropped sugary tea. Oh the joys LOL
omgaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. I want. NOW!
I love making homemade lo cal BBQ chicken pizza too!! ESP WITH COOKED RED ONIONS ON TOP. mm mmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Since summer’s pretty much over, I’d say you have to try that pina colada punch first. I’m assuming you don’t really get a hankerin’ for pineappley coconut delights during the fall? I don’t, anyway!!
Your bbq chicken nachos look delicious, but you pretty much can’t go wrong with bbq chicken anything. I made a delicious bbq chicken pita pizza last night that was innnncredible. It obviously involved lots of cheese, which might have had something to do with it.
I am definitely impressed- that looks amazing! If you’re interested in entering a Halloween recipe contest, I’d love to see what you come up with! You can go here to learn more about it.
I’m reading this post while eating a less than stellar lunch. This just isn’t fair!
This is one of the best recipes you’ve ever posted. Seriously. It combines all of my favorite things. I have dinner plans with friends tonight and I was really looking forward to trying out this restaurant, now I’m not going to be thinking about what I could be having instead. Oh well at least I know what I’m having tomorrow. I cannot wait to try this out!
That salad looks SO yummy! You are so darn creative with all of these fabulous recipes!
I want those for my afternoon “snack”
Tempting… I have everything on hand!
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