LaBelle's Persian Infused Spicy Beef Nachos for the Big Game

I heard that the Super Bowl is the second biggest day of eating next to Thanksgiving. That helps explain why Joe is so busy chopping onions! (It seems like he just can't stop!)  This is our favorite cutting board, btw.

One of his go to recipes to make for Super Bowl Sunday is his amazing Persian Infused Spicy Beef Nachos. His unique blend of spices helps to give these nachos a flavorful advantage over your everyday loaded nachos appetizers.

So enough with the pre-game show, let's get on with the recipe for Persian-influenced Spicy Beef Nachos.  Yes, these nachos are not your typical Mexican-style but have more of a middle eastern flavor.

I can't proceed without sharing Joe's passion for quality meat.  Every week, he drives across Cape to go to his favorite butcher at Peterson's Market in Yarmouth Port.  We live practically next door to a large super chain supermarket, which is convenient, but you can definitely taste the difference, hence the long trip to Peterson's.   So get some nice, lean ground beef, a couple of sweet (Vidalia if possible) onions, paprika, mustard powder, curry powder, chili powder, allspice, and cinnamon...oh, and don't forget the garlic.  I don't think Joe makes anything without garlic.  I've even found garlic cloves in the washing machine after doing the laundry...that's another story...Get out a sharp knife and start chopping.  Make sure you have sour cream and salsa on hand and my favorite, guacamole.

Persian Infused Spicy Beef Nachos                  Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef

2 cups shredded cheese - cheddar is always a nice choice

2 sweet onions

1 clove garlic

scallions

1 chopped tomato

1 tablespoon mustard powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/3 cup sliced black olives

Directions

1.  In a large saute pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil at medium to medium-high heat.  

2.  While the pan is warming up, dice the onions, then add to the pan.

3.  Add your spices and garlic, stir, and let everything get nice and sweaty.

4.  Add ground beef and continue stirring a breaking up and combining spices and onions with the ground beef.  Cook until it's no longer pink.

5.  Spread 1 layer of nacho chips out onto a greased 9" x 13" baking dish.

6.  Add a layer of Spicy Beef, cheese, tomatoes, scallions and olives.  Repeat.

7.  Broil on high for about 5-7 minutes.  Do not walk away from the stove!

8.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with more green onions, a scoop of sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

Serve and enjoy!

How to Make Pretzel Dogs

Want to make something fun for the big game?  Joe's had Pigs-in-a-Blanket on the brain lately, but wasn't getting much in the way of feedback from the peanut gallery.  What's a good chef to do?  Kick it up a notch with Pigs-in-a-Pretzel.  We enthusiastically cheered for home made Pretzel Dogs and you can watch him make them in this fun Pretzel Dog video.


As you can see, making the dough is a pretty simple process...

Then it's just a matter of letting the dough rise a bit, then wrapping your dogs...

After giving your dogs a little water bath, salt them then pop them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.

The fun of making Pretzel Dogs is nothing when compared to the faces of your game-day guests when presented with a platter brimming with Pretzel Dogs.  Joe made a great Loaded Spicy Beef Nacho platter to go with our Pretzel Dogs.  Stay tuned for that recipe!

Pretzel Dogs                                                             Print

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1 cup water

2 tablespoons baking soda

1 cup hot water

coarse or sea salt

8 hot dogs

Directions

Preheat oven to 475°

1.  Combine flour, salt, sugar, yeast and 1 cup water by hand or with a mixer.

2.  Knead dough for about 5 minutes.

3.  Lightly flour dough and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes.
4.  Stretch out dough a bit, then with a bench knife cut into 8 finger-sized pieces.
5.  Roll your dough pieces out until they are about 8" long.
6.  Beginning at the end of an uncooked hot dog, wrap one dough 'snake' around each hot dog.
7.  Let the wrapped hot dogs rest a bit in a baking dish while you prepare a hot water bath.
8.  Dissolve baking soda in one cup of boiling water.
9.  Pour water over dogs, then transfer to a sheet pan and sprinkle with salt.
10.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!