Quick and Easy Steak Nachos

These nachos are perfect for game-day (not that I really know what that means), as an appetizer for a get-together, or a fast weeknight meal.

Use the recipe for Kaye's Steak Marinade to cook the steak, and from there, it's all about layering what you want.

I'll go through what I normally put on our nachos, but you should feel free to add what you like. Fan of pico-de-gallo? Onion it up. Like green peppers? Add some color. The possibilities are endless. I will suggest if you like adding things like sour cream or guacamole to your nachos, that you should do that after the cooking process. No one enjoys runny guac.

Easy Nachos

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4-6 cups of your favorite tortilla chips (about 1/3 of a 1 lb bag)

1 lb steak, marinated and cooked like so

1/2 cup low fat refried beans

1/2 chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup sliced olives

1 small can diced green chili peppers

1 cup shredded cheese (I like to use cheddar and monterey jack)

1/4 cup sour cream

Preparation

0. Preheat oven to 400F. Place rack towards top of the oven.

1. Assemble! I like to start with a base of the chips, then dollop on the refried beans. From there, it's pretty much just throw everything on.

2. I always like to end with the cheese on top, but that's just a personal preference.

3. Bake at 400F for about 3-5 minutes. Keep a watchful eye on this. Nothing is worse than burnt nachos. Well, maybe a burnt kitchen. When the cheese is melted, these babies are good to go.

4. Add sour cream, salsa or guacamole, then serve immediately!

Freezer Calzones

These calzones are a perfect make-ahead-and-freeze dish. No, they aren't the healthiest of meal options, but if you serve them with some fresh veggies, you might be able to wash away some of your carbohydrate related sins.

Plus, you can put whatever you want in them!

I've come up with a few filling pairs that would be delicious to try out:

White-Spinach Calzone:

Alfredo sauce

Cooked spinach

Parmesan cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Meat Lover's (blech):

Marinara sauce

Italian sausage

Ground beef

Pepperoni

Mozzarella

Greek:

Alfredo

Cooked spinach

Kalamata olives

Feta cheese

Mozzarella

Veggie Lover's:

Marinara sauce

Mushrooms

Black Olives

Green peppers

Onions

Roma tomatoes

And the options are endless! The recipe is simple to follow. Just prepare the crust (recipe below), and fill with whatever your heart desires!

You can cook the calzones right away by placing in a pre-heated 350F oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling out and the crust is a light, golden brown. You can also place them in individual zip-loc freezer bags and freeze for later. To cook later, just heat the oven up to 350F and cook for about 28-35 minutes.

Enjoy experimenting with this recipe!

Calzone Dough

Makes about 8-10 calzones

Ingredients:

1/2 packet active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

4 cups flour (I use unbleached all purpose)

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp salt

Procedure:

1. Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water in a bowl.

2. Mix the flour and salt thoroughly in a separate bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and mix with a spoon until incorporated.

3. Stir the yeast in the water, then add to the flour mixture. Mix until the dough forms a ball.

4. Coat a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, and transfer the dough ball to the bowl.

5. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set in a warm area for about 1-2 hours, or until the dough has nearly doubled in size.

6. Prepare an area to work with the dough. Coat area with a light dusting of flour. Divide the dough into about 8 balls (in between the size of a golf ball and the size of a tennis ball...).

7. Work the dough into a rectangular shape. Fill one diagonal half (does that even make sense? look at the photo!) with sauce and toppings, taking care not to overfill.

8. Fold over the un-sauced half, and crimp the edges together with a fork or your fingers.

9. Place in freezer bags to freeze, or pop in the oven right away!

Cooking times:

Frozen: 350F, 28-35 minutes

Fresh: 350F, 15-20 minutes

Enjoy!

Kaye's Steak Marinade

This is a ridiculously easy and versatile recipe you can use in many types of dishes. This steak marinade works in traditional stir-fry dishes, and also in Mexican-themed cuisine. Later this week I'll post my mom's favorite way to make nachos.

I know, so convenient right after the Superbowl.

Sorry, my life just does not revolve around that kind of stuff. Disappointing to some, I know.

Kaye's Steak Marinade

Ingredients

1-1.5 lb flank steak

salt and pepper for seasoning

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

(The soy sauce to red wine vinegar ratio is always 1:1, so feel free to use less or more depending on the dish you are marinading the steak in)

Procedure

1. Cut the flank steak into small strips against the grain of the meat.

2. Salt and pepper the steak, then place in a dish with the vinegar and soy sauce to marinade for about 30 minutes.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the steak in the skillet, avoiding overcrowding the steak, as it will cause the steak to "steam" rather than sear.

4. Cook on each side about 2-3 minutes, or until there is very little pink in the middle (this is a matter of personal preference).

5. Transfer to a paper towel and keep warm.

6. Serve with stir fried veggies over rice, over nachos, in tacos, or just by itself with a couple of sides!