Expert Tips

• Cook the ground beef on the stovetop and drain of excess fat. This helps your nachos not be greasy before you serve them.
• If your cheese sauce is too thick, simply thin with a tablespoon at a time of warm milk until the desired consistency.
• Swap the ground beef for another protein. You could use ground chicken, turkey, even pulled pork or pulled beef leftover from a weeknight dinner.
• Homemade taco seasoning. A packet of taco seasoning works great, but if you prefer a homemade version, simply mix together these ingredients and adjust to your preference: 1 tbsp chili powder, ½ tbsp ground cumin, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper. 

Homemade Nacho Cheese. 

• If you prefer a homemade nacho cheese sauce, you'll need 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole milk, 1½ cups shredded American cheese or Velveeta, ¼ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp paprika, ⅛ tsp chili powder, Pinch of cayenne pepper, and 1–2 tbsp pickled jalapeño juice.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened (2–3 minutes). Reduce heat to low. Add cheese a handful at a time, whisking until fully melted and smooth. Stir in salt, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and jalapeño juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.