Chicken Party Nachos

Pin It I think nachos are a great party food.  They are a crowd pleaser and easy to make.  However, I hate that some chips have tons of toppings and other chips have barely anything on them.  By the end of the night all that is left is a pile of topping-less chips.  That's how these gems came to be. I call them Party Nachos because they are perfect for a party.  Every chip is perfectly topped and they are the perfect finger food.  No need to worry about toppings dripping on your clothes.I made these for my husband's fantasy football draft party and they were gobbled up.  I'm definitely keeping these in mind for the rest of football season!

This recipe was shared at Six Sisters' Link Party and Trick or Treat Tuesday .

Chicken Party Nachos
15 corn tortillas
1 can refried beans
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked/grilled and chopped into small pieces
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

For serving:
jalapenos
salsa
sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Lay tortillas on foil lined baking sheets.
2. Mix taco seasoning with refried beans.  Spread a thin layer of beans on each tortilla.
3. Place chicken on top of beans.
4. Sprinkle with cheese until toppings are well covered.
5. Place in oven and bake 5-8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
6. Allow nachos to cool slightly before cutting or all of the cheese will fall off.
7. Using a pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into 4 pieces.  Serve with sour cream, salsa and jalapenos.

Summer Mango Salsa

Pin It When it is so unbearably hot outside you have to have some cool snacks on hand.  This salsa is perfect for the dog days of summer!  It is sweet, tangy, crisp and refreshing.  This would be great to bring to a potluck or to enjoy by the pool.  Kids would love it too.

Summer Mango Salsa
1 ripe mango, diced
2 cups strawberries, diced
juice of 1 lime
6-10 mint leaves, thinly sliced (could substitute basil leaves or omit completely)

Cinnamon pita chips

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss gently.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
2. Enjoy with cinnamon pita chips or dipper of your choice.

Salmon with Mango Salsa

Pin It This is the perfect summer dinner!  It is light, healthy and refreshing.  The salsa pairs perfectly with any type of seafood so cook your favorite kind.  I grilled my salmon because it was nice outside, but f you don't have a grill you can always cook inside on the stove.

I'm participating in Weekend Potluck  and Strut Your Stuff Link Party again.  Click the links to check out all of the awesome posts!

Salmon with Mango Salsa
Salsa:
1 mango, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder**optional
salt and pepper

Salmon
4 salmon fillets
1 lime, juiced
ground corriander
ancho chile powder, or to taste
salt and pepper

To make the salsa
1. Cut up all fruits and veggies.
2. Place in a bowl and toss with lime juice and cilantro.
3. Season with salt and pepper and chile powder.
4. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
5. Spoon over salmon for a delicious summer meal.

Salmon
1. Preheat your grill and coat grates with non stick cooking spray.
2. Lay salmon in a dish and squeeze lime juice on top.  Sprinkle fish with spices on both sides.  Don't let salmon marinate for more than 15 minutes or it will get mushy.
3. Cook salmon over medium high heat for about 3 minutes on each side.  Fish will turn opaque and flaky when done.

Mexican Beans

Pin It Now I'm not claiming that these are authentic by any means, but they are delcious and we have them with all of our Mexican inspired meals.  In about 10 minutes you can have a flavorful side dish that is more exciting than canned refried beans or plain black beans.

Mexican Beans
3 strips bacon, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 30 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup salsa - any variety
1/2 can beer - any variety
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp taco seasoning

1. In a sauce pan brown bacon.  Remove bacon from pan and cook onions in bacon drippings until browned and translucent.
2. Add beans, salsa, beer and seasonings.  Return bacon to pan.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
3. Using a potato masher, lightly mash beans (I only press down about 3 times) just to break up some of the beans and give the sauce a thicker texture***this step completely optional.