Using Up Leftovers: Pita Nachos
Sometimes, you’ve just got too much pita laying around! This happens more often than I’m super interested in admitting to, and a lot of the time it also winds up in the freezer, where I later discover it. Sometimes when that happens, I really do not want to do the more usual pita options, and instead wish to mix it up a bit! Nachos are an excellent and easily customized option, as well as being not a lot of work to make despite the vast, nearly overwhelming number of steps I’ve listed below. Actually, nachos are always how I use up newly discovered frozen pita if I don’t want to make pizza with it. Pizza is also an excellent and easy option!
Here’s what you’ll need
To make the chips:
4 small-to-medium pitas, cut into eighths or sixths, depending on how big you like your nachos (I cut them into triangles, basically)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt (you can reduce it if you're a low salt kind of person)
To make the nachos:
1 batch of pita chips
1/2 - 1 cup cheddar cheese (I like a lot of cheese, but I don't know what y'all like)
some sort of pre-cooked meat, if desired (I didn't use this)
refried beans, if desired (I didn't use this either, but I like to keep my options open)
To make the corn salsa:
1 can white corn
1 cup cooked black beans
1 diced tomato
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 stalk diced celery
1-2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno (you can use fresh if you have it)
juice of 2-3 limes
salt and pepper to taste
Here’s what you’ll do
To make the chips:
Preheat oven to 400F. Brush the pita with oil and sprinkle salt all over it. Put on a baking sheet (you can put either parchment down on it, or you can use a silpat, or nothing at all) and bake 5-7 minutes.
To make the corn salsa:
Mix well. Chill before serving. Makes about 3-4 cups.
To make the nachos:
Heat oven to 400F. Put chips on an oven-proof plate (if you're like me, and don't have one of those, just use a baking dish - they eat just as easily off a baking dish as they do off a plate). Top with beans and/or meat if you're using it, then top with cheese. Put in the oven and let cook a few minutes, or until cheese is melted. Top nachos with corn salsa and maybe some extra slices of pickled jalapenos, if you like that sort of garnish. Serves 1-2 as a meal, 4 as an appetizer.
