This platter of goodness represents the lowest-effort end of the homemade nachos spectrum. That said, “low-effort”—by no stretch of the imagination—means a low YUM-factor here. Although this game day-perfect platter of beefy, cheesy nachos comes together quickly and relies largely on store-bought shortcuts, it delivers the classic meld of flavors and textures that you want from everyone’s favorite appetizer. For this nachos recipe, we combine the meat and nacho cheese elements to create a Ro*Tel Dip-inspired, beefy cheese sauce. This guarantees an even distribution of the hearty toppings and keeps you from having to crank up the oven. However, if you prefer melted, shredded cheese over a nacho cheese sauce, simply cook your ground beef in a skillet on the stovetop, drain, and distribute over the nachos on a sheet pan. Then, top the platter with shredded cheese and pop it under the broiler until melty and glorious (no Ro*Tel required).
How to Make It
Prepare the Cheese Dip: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add beef, and cook, stirring to crumble, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Combine cheese and tomatoes in a medium-size microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH until melted, about 3 minutes, stirring every 1 minute. Stir cooked beef into cheese mixture.
Assemble the Nachos: Arrange half of chips on an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Spoon 2 cups of Cheese Dip evenly over chips. Top evenly with remaining chips, and spoon remaining Cheese Dip evenly over mixture. Dollop evenly with sour cream and guacamole. Sprinkle with tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeños. Garnish with lime wedges.