Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Nachos

In the interest of full disclosure, you need to know this: This is probably one of the unhealthiest non-dessert recipes I’ve posted on this blog.

And I loved it.

I made these nachos for Joe and me last Saturday night as a special treat. Andrew was spending the night with his grandparents, we were trying to catch up on back episode of Lost before Sunday night’s finale, and it seemed like a good night to indulge. As you can imagine, the cheese sauce for these nachos was absolutely delicious. These aren’t something I would eat every day, obviously, but they would be a great appetizer for a party. If I were to make them again, I’d use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of the frozen pre-cooked grilled chicken strips, because we could both definitely tell a difference. Other than that, though, no complaints: These were spicy and creamy and deliciously indulgent.

Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Nachos
source: slightly adapted from Betty Crocker

1 16-ounce package Mexican pasteurized prepared cheese product with jalapeño peppers, cut into cubes
3/4 cup salsa
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 9-ounce package frozen cooked fajita chicken breast strips, thawed and cubed
1 8-ounce container ranch sour cream dip
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
Tortilla chips for serving

1. Place cheese, salsa, beans and chicken in 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 3 to 4 hours, stirring halfway through cooking, until cheese is melted and mixture is hot.

3. Stir in sour cream dip and bell peppers. Increase heat setting to high. Cover and cook about 30 minutes or until mixture is hot. Serve over tortilla chips. Topping will hold on low heat setting up to 2 hours; stir occasionally.