As far as we're concerned, the most egregious fouls committed during Sunday's Super Bowl will involve tortilla chips and melted cheese.

Nachos are championship party food, to be sure: cheap, easy and sociable. But once the best bites come off the top and the cheese congeals, things get ugly. We agreed that a better game plan was in order.

This year, chef-restaurateur Rick Bayless was called in for a recipe for tostadas built like tlayudas, the famous street food of Oaxaca, Mexico. The huge corn tortillas are grilled on both sides, brushed with lard, then topped and cut into pizzalike wedges.

Bayless' version calls for six-inch tortillas, a thinned guacamole sauce, crumbled cooked chorizo and judiciously applied queso fresco. Simple. Guests can grab one and go. And while the tostadas may overlap slightly on a platter, no ref would throw a flag for piling on. The tostadas pack a spicy punch and will remain crisp through four quarters plus a halftime show with the Who. The same technique can be applied to all manner of combinations: grilled shrimp with black beans (or a smooth bean puree), or perhaps carnitas and pickled onions drizzled with a smoky salsa.

David Suarez, culinary director of Rosa Mexicano, then offered up the X's and O's of a recipe created for the restaurant chain's current Real Men Cook Mexican festival. The nachos start with thick-cut potato slices fried golden brown and crisp. Transferred to the largest platter you've got, they form a wide playing field for layers of flavor: a garlicky herbed oil, chopped braised boneless short ribs deepened by a cooked vegetable base, scattered hits of Mexican blue cheese, a crunchy jalapeño slaw, cooling crema and chopped scallions.

Not simple. And at some point, utensils need to be called in. But these nachos welcome substitutions, depending on the strength of your culinary bench: Use kettle chips or wedges of baked corn tortillas instead of frying your own potatoes. Skip the garlicky oil and reduce the calorie count. Add cooked beans, roasted red peppers and marinated artichoke hearts to the tinga instead of beef. Choose a milder cheese such as a dry Jack instead of a salty Cabrales or Valdeon.

Nachos might have sprung from a Hail Mary attempt long ago by a desperate restaurateur just across the Rio Grande, but Americans continue to top nachos in winning ways. Except for the goopy ones sold at stadiums, which should be banned from all sports.


Chef-restaurateur Rick Bayless developed this recipe to mimic the famous tlayudas of Oaxaca, which are huge tortillas cooked directly on coals and brushed with lard before being topped.

For the guacamole

5 to 6 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped

1 medium clove garlic

2 or 3 serrano chili peppers, stemmed but not seeded, then coarsely chopped

Leaves from 10 stems cilantro

1/2 cup water, plus more as needed

Flesh from 1 large ripe avocado

Kosher or sea salt

For the tostadas

About 1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, casings removed

About 2 dozen 6-inch corn tortillas

About 6 ounces queso fresco or other mild cheese, crumbled

For the guacamole: Combine the tomatillos, garlic, serrano peppers, cilantro and 1/2 cup water in a blender or food processor. Process to a coarse puree. Add the avocado and pulse until nearly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and, if necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to thin to a consistency that will let you drizzle the sauce.

For the tostadas: Cook the chorizo in a medium skillet over medium heat for about 12 minutes or until well browned, breaking up any clumps. If you wish to use the rendered chorizo fat to brush on the tostadas, scrape the contents of the skillet into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to catch as much of the chorizo fat as possible, pressing with the back of a spoon if needed. Reserve 1/4 cup of the fat and discard the rest or reserve for another use. Transfer the cooked chorizo to a bowl.

Position an oven rack about 4 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. Working in batches, place as many tortillas as will fit in a single layer on a broiler pan. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes so the tortillas are spotty brown all over. Turn tortillas, and if desired, brush some of the rendered chorizo fat all over the second side, then sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the cooked chorizo on each tortilla. Return to the broiler and broil for 1 or 2 minutes.

Transfer to a platter. Drizzle with some of the guacamole, then garnish with the cheese.


These are for nacho lovers who are looking for something extra and are willing to resort to cutlery. Use freshly fried, thick slices of russet potatoes or thickly cut kettle potato chips. The topping starts with the tinga vegetable base, cooked beef, chicken, shrimp or beans can be added.

A quick toss in a garlic-epazote oil adds a layer of flavor, but it's an extra step of prep. If you can't locate fresh epazote, substitute cilantro leaves.

For the potatoes

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil, plus about 21/2 quarts for frying

1/2 cup olive oil

Leaves from 1/2 bunch epazote (about 3 ounces), cut into thin strips

Cloves from 1 head garlic, minced

Kosher salt

12 to 15 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed clean

For assembly

3 to 4 cups braised boneless short ribs, defatted, then coarsely chopped

31/2 cups Tinga (recipe below)

4 to 6 ounces mild blue cheese or dry Jack cheese, crumbled

2 cups Cabbage Escabeche (recipe below)

Mexican crema, for garnish

2 bunches scallions, chopped for garnish

For the potatoes: Heat the 21/2 quarts of oil in a large saucepan over high heat, to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of vegetable or canola oil, the 1/2 cup of olive oil, the epazote julienne and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and fragrant. The epazote will be a darker green. Remove from the heat and season with salt to taste.

Trim the end pieces from the potatoes. Cut the potatoes crosswise into thick slices. Add about a potato's worth of slices at a time to the hot oil; fry for 6 to 8 minutes, turning them so they are lightly browned on both sides and tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a wire rack to drain, then transfer to a bowl and drizzle with a little of the garlic-epazote oil; toss to coat. Transfer to a platter, arranging the potatoes in a single layer. Repeat until all potatoes are used.

For assembly: Combine the chopped braised beef and tinga vegetable base in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Stir well, then cook for several minutes until heated through and slightly darkened in color. Scatter the cheese evenly over the mixture; let sit until the cheese has started to melt, then remove from the heat.

Distribute the beef mixture with cheese evenly over the potatoes. Scatter the cabbage escabeche over the mixture, then drizzle with the crema. Sprinkle with scallions and strips of pickled chili peppers. Serve warm.


This vegetable flavor base can be added to cooked beef, chicken, shrimp or beans to create a hearty topping for nachos.

1/4 cup olive oil

11/2 large white onions, cut into small dice (about 21/2 cups)

6 to 8 medium cloves garlic, minced

21/2 pounds Roma or hothouse tomatoes, cored, then coarsely chopped (about 4 cups, plus juices)

2 chipotle peppers en adobo, minced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

Kosher salt

Preparation: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring often, until they are soft, golden and caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, then add the tomatoes and their juices, chipotle peppers, bay leaf and oregano; mix well.

Cook uncovered over medium or medium-high heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the moisture in the mixture has evaporated. Discard the bay leaf.


You'll have enough left over to use as a topping or side for sandwiches.

4 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut lengthwise into thin slivers

1/2 large head green cabbage, cored and shredded (8 to 9 cups)

2 large carrots, peeled and shredded

Leaves from 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 cup apple cider vinegar

21/2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation: Combine the jalapeño peppers, cabbage, carrots and parsley in a large bowl. Add the vinegar and toss to coat evenly, then add the salt and sugar. Mix well, then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours, then drain in a colander.