We were walking home from work, swamped with Golden Lawnchair planning. “Guess what else we’re going to be doing?” I asked David, while reciting the evening’s hefty to-do list.
“What now?”“A Nacho Party!”
“You’re already planning one party. You can’t plan more than one party at a time.” David reasoned patiently.
“Can too!” I shot him a petulant look.
“See, now this is why you’re at least half Pinkie Pie.” He said with an exasperated sigh, as I detailed out the nacho party plans.
For those of you that aren’t fans of the TV show “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” Pinkie Pie is one of the main characters. And she’s always up for a party. But when an opportunity for something like a nacho party comes up, who wouldn’t say no?
Mission tortilla chips had inquired if I wanted to review their chips. I requested enough to throw a nacho party. When they agreed, I took the party plan to Velveeta to get some of their newer flavors. I asked for a few bricks of each kind, maybe 9 total.
Ask Kraft and ye shall receive.
When you have 36 lbs of Velveeta, you build your cat a cheese fort
From Mission, four large boxes arrived, filled with three different kinds of tortilla chips. Rounds, strips and triangles. From Velveeta, 36 pounds (yes 36) arrived, in the three newer flavors: Queso Blanco, Jalapeno and Mexican.
Indeed I do.
The nacho party was a big hit, as you'll see from the pictures below. I learned a few things about throwing a successful nacho party along the way, so without further ado, I present "Pinkie Pie's Nacho Party Tips."
Pinkie Pie’s Nacho Party Tips:
1. Remember the best nacho plates are built on a solid foundation. Don't skimp on the essentials, like chips and cheese and other desired toppings.
2. Calculate how much time you think you may need to melt the cheese. Then double it. Have tools like a cheese slicer on hand to slice cheese into smaller pieces for easier melting. Consider melting the cheese in the microwave first, then holding it in the crockpot--it’ll save you some time.
3. Be prepared! Have plenty of tupperware ready for any leftovers, and plenty of cutlery and plates on hand. We had small paper trays which worked very well for a piled-high personal nacho plate.
4. Watch your cheese. From time to time, you may need to add more liquid (I prefer milk), especially if you are using a crockpot to keep your cheese warm. If you’re not paying attention, you may end up with some burny bits, which are not the best nacho topping.
5. Variety is your friend. According to David's calculations, there are 1,605,632 possible combinations of nachos from the toppings, chips and cheeses we had to offer, including regional delicacies such as Skyline chili and goetta.
6. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Have steam trays and ice buckets on hand to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. The one thing you don’t want to serve up at a nacho party is food poisoning.
No food poisoning here!
So what did we think about the Velveeta varieties and the chips? As for the chips, everyone preferred the strips above all, which is what I’d recommend for a nacho party, or if you are making chips and cheese dip. The rounds are nice, and have at-the-ballpark nostalgia, but the size is a little large for individual nacho plates. The triangles are better, but the strips are the best. Mission doesn’t go overboard with the salt on the chips either, which is great. We'll probably try their soft tortillas next time we make tacos.
As for Velveeta, the runaway favorite was the Queso Blanco, which seemed to have the best “meltiness” and was the most versatile on nachos. The Jalapeno does have a little kick, but it’s not unpleasant, and the Mexican reminded me most of original Velveeta.
I think it bears repeating, pickled jalapenos! FTW!!
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get the small paper tubs in the 3rd and 4th pictures?
ReplyDelete