Tres Quesos BBQ Pork Loaded Nachos Recipe

It's hard to go wrong with nachos for dinner, and once you embrace the customizability of the dish, it gets exponentially better. Mashed recipe developer Patterson Watkins shares this tres quesos BBQ pork loaded nachos recipe that's packed with flavor and oozing with cheesy goodness. "This is one awesomely delicious tray of messy nachos — fully loaded, to the max," she shares. 

There are several components at play in this nacho-feast bonanza, and Watkins comments, "My favorite has to be the 3-cheese sauce." Each one infuses the dish with something special: "The American cheese imparts richness and creaminess. The Oaxaca cheese gives this sauce body and that ideal melty smoothness. The pepper jack cheese adds a balanced level of heat and vibrancy." Really, you have to go with all three (though Watkins also has some suggestions if you want to switch it up). 

The bulk of the work for these nachos is in the cheese sauce, and Watkins notes it can be made ahead of time and reheated. "All the other ingredients are pre-made or store bought, making it super easy to prep and plan." As for leftovers, anyone who has eaten soggy tortilla chips knows they're better when they're crisp. Watkins recommends, "if you are not serving a large group, scale down the rest of the ingredients to suit the number of folks you will be serving." And if you must, be sure to reheat leftovers in the oven and not the microwave.

For this nacho recipe, you'll need a bag of tortilla chips, salted butter, all-purpose flour, a can of evaporated milk, chopped American cheese, grated pepper jack cheese, and pulled or grated Oaxaca cheese. Next, get ground cumin, garlic powder, olive oil, a poblano pepper (chopped), a package of BBQ pulled pork, and canned black beans (drained and rinsed). To garnish, you'll need chopped pickled red onions, chopped fresh tomatoes, and canned diced green chile peppers. Finally, you'll want sour cream, salsa, and guacamole for serving.

Preheat the oven to 180 F.

Place the tortilla chips on a large baking sheet, spreading out in an even layer. Place the baking sheet in the oven and warm for 15 minutes (or for however long it takes you to make the other nacho components).

Meanwhile, place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat.

Once melted, add the flour, and whisk to combine the roux. Cook, whisking frequently, for 1 minute.

Add the evaporated milk to the pan, whisk to combine with the roux, and bring to a low simmer (do not boil).

Once simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the cheeses (American cheese, pepper jack, and Oaxaca) in batches, whisking and waiting until the cheese has melted before adding the next batch.

Once all the cheese has melted, add the cumin and garlic powder to the mix, whisking to combine. Keep the cheese sauce warm until ready to serve. (The sauce will thicken as it rests, add a tablespoon or two of water or milk to thin if needed.)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Once hot, add the poblano pepper and saute for 3 minutes.

Add the pork to the skillet, stir to combine with the peppers, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the pork has reheated.

Add the beans to the skillet, stir to combine, and continue cooking until the beans have warmed, about 2 minutes more.

Remove the tortilla chips from the oven and top with the pork mixture and cheese sauce, distributing both evenly.

Top the nachos with pickled red onions, tomatoes, and green chiles. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole on the side for dipping.

This loaded nacho recipe features a winning trio of American cheese, pepper jack, and Oaxaca cheese, but you can adapt it to suit what you have on hand. That said, Watkins recommends sticking with easy-to-melt cheeses for the sauce. She notes that cheddar cheese, mozzarella, provolone, and monterey jack, are great substitutes  and advises, "Avoid hard cheeses or crumbly cheeses, as they will not result in a smooth, silky sauce."

Feel free to switch one or all of the cheeses depending on your taste and what you find at your supermarket. "My only word of advice is to grate your own cheese for this recipe," Watkins recommends, explaining, "The pre-grated cheeses are treated with a thickening agent (often cornstarch) to keep the cheese from sticking together in the bag." While it achieves its desired purpose, she notes, "Using the pre-grated stuff might result in a clumpy, super thick sauces — not ideal for this recipe or any cheese sauce recipes." 

The main features of this nacho recipe are the cheese sauce, BBQ pulled pork, and black beans. Watkins adds several garnishes to round out the flavors, but there's plenty of room to experiment. "Feel free to go wild with the toppings," she says and notes, "My recommendations (the tomatoes, cilantro, green chili peppers, pickled red onions ...) are just the tip of the topping iceberg."

If you're looking for some ideas to explore, she suggests, "You can top with fresh or pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, scallions, chopped onions (instead of the pickled ones), avocado, black olives, etc. any and all are welcome additions." Aside from the garnishes, the dips are another way to customize this recipe. Watkins keeps it classic with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, but says that hot sauce, taco sauces, chipotle ranch, or avocado ranch dressing are all great options. Finally, the pulled pork can be swapped for other meaty add-ins too, including pre-made carnitas, ground beef, and chorizo, just to name a few.