Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in South Florida Family Events and Recipes

Happy National Nachos Day! Treat yourself to some homemade takes on this crowd-pleasing dish.

Caribbean Nachos (found on Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) package multigrain tortilla chips

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1 orange bell pepper, diced

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced 

• ½ pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 8 thick slices bacon

• ¾ cup Caribbean jerk marinade

• 1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

• ½ pound shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

• Layer the chips on a tray or cookie sheet. Arrange the red pepper, orange pepper, onion, avocado, and pineapple on top of the chips.

• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly crisp; drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Chop the bacon and sprinkle over the nachos.

• Pour the jerk marinade into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring continually, until the marinade reduces to a thick sticky consistency, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir to coat; cook until the shrimp are hot. Scatter the shrimp over the nachos; top with Monterrey Jack cheese and cilantro.

• Place the nachos in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 7 minutes.

Zucchini Nachos (found on Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• ½ medium onion, finely chopped 

• 1 pound lean ground chicken

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon oregano

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

• ½ cup low-fat sour cream

• ½ cup pico de gallo

• 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced

• 3 green onions, green parts chopped

Preparation

• Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch slices using a mandoline slicer. Place slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Let drain for 30 minutes. Place slices on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a 12x18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned, breaking meat up into small crumbles, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and discard any accumulated liquid.

• Return skillet to low heat and stir in chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, oregano, and black pepper. Keep warm.

• Place zucchini slices on the prepared baking pan in a single layer.

• Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.

• Remove zucchini from oven and top with chicken mixture and shredded Cheddar cheese. Return to the hot oven and bake until cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes more.

• Top nachos with dollops of sour cream, pico de gallo, jalapeno, and green onions. Serve immediately.

Pizza Nachos (found on Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage

• 1 (7-1/2 ounce) bag tortilla chips 

• 1 (2 ounce) package sliced pepperoni

• ½ pound shredded mozzarella cheese

• ½ cup banana peppers, drained

• 1 ¼ cups pizza sauce

Preparation

• Preheat your oven's broiler.

• Crumble the sausage into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink; drain.

• Arrange the tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Top with sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and banana peppers. Place nachos under the preheated broiler until the cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Enjoy your weekend!