You had nachos for lunch and they were delicious. The cheese melted perfectly, and the refried beans were at the perfect temperature. The tomatoes and black olives were nicely blended, and the sour cream on top really topped it off.
The only thing that you did wrong was to make way too many nachos. Now they are in the refrigerator, and you wonder how you should reheat your nachos. Should you just throw them away, or should you attempt to reheat them?
There are several ways to reheat your nachos. The easiest is the microwave, but the results won’t be that great. A good and simple way to reheat them is in the conventional oven or the toaster oven. The stovetop is a little tricky but will make the best leftover nachos. To get perfectly reheated nachos, you will need to separate the ingredients to prevent vegetable items and the sour cream from getting overcooked.
Preparing Your Nachos
To get the most of your reheated nachos, you will need to separate the ingredients. For example, try to remove the beef, the beans and the cheese from the tortilla chips. If you try to heat them up with these ingredients on top, the tortilla chips will get soggy.
Take a nacho chip in your hand. Look at it closely to see what needs to be scraped off. You might notice a bit of melted cheese and a smear of refried beans. Scrape them off with a knife. Be sure that the chip does not break. This can be a tricky and complicated process.
Once you have scraped the ingredients off the chip, put it on the side. Do this with the rest of the chips. Try to make them as clean as the tortilla chips that come out of the bag. Save all the ingredients in a separate bowl. You will use them to make another layer of nachos when you are reheating them.
In The Microwave
Put the cleaned tortilla chips on a microwave safe plate. Microwave them for 30 seconds to heat them back up. Then take the rest of the ingredients and gently place them on top of the tortilla chips. Microwave on high for one minute or until the ingredients are steaming hot.
If there is any sour cream, make sure that you do not microwave it with the rest of the ingredients. Save it for after the nachos reheat and then smear the sour cream on the top. Eat as quickly as possible.
Enjoy your nachos with your favorite beverage. Coca Cola or beer are good choices. Make a margarita, or just simply take a shot of tequila.
In the Conventional Oven
Follow the same steps as listed before. Preheat the oven to 420 degrees. Put the chips in the oven for two minutes to heat. Then smear the rest of the ingredients on top of the chips. Separate the sour cream so that it does not go into the oven.
Cook your nacho chips in the oven for about 4 minutes. They will be done when you notice the ingredients are steaming. Take the nachos out of the oven. Now you can add sour cream.
Enjoy with your favorite beverage. Orange juice, grape juice or coffee are good choices.
In the Toaster Oven
The toaster oven is a great way to reheat your nachos.
- Find the toaster oven baking sheet.
- Put the cleaned tortilla chips on the baking sheet.
- Put the backing sheet in the toaster
- Bake for one minute at 420 degrees
- Put the other ingredients on top of the chips.
- Bake for 3 minutes at 420 degrees.
- Remove the nachos from the toaster oven
- Put the nachos on a plate, or just eat them off the toaster baking sheet.
Enjoy with your favorite beverage, such as milk or chocolate milk.
On the Stove Top
This is the trickiest way to reheat your nachos but can make the best results.
- Preheat the stovetop burner to medium.
- Put a skillet on the burner with a little vegetable oil spread on the bottom.
- Heat until the pan sizzles when a drop of water touches the pan.
- Heat the cleaned nacho chips in the oil for two minutes. If you can, turn the nacho chips over to cook them on both sides.
- Add a little salt.
- Put the other ingredients on top of the tortilla chips.
- Cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Leave a crack in the top so that moisture can escape.
- Remove the nachos from the pan.
- Place them on a plate.
- Add the sour cream last.
Enjoy with your favorite beverage such as chai tea, green tea, or black tea.
Tips for Enjoying Your Nachos
If you have any fresh cheddar cheese, add a small layer over the leftover nachos to freshen up the toppings. You can use any other fresh toppings that you find in your refrigerator. The idea is to make leftover nachos, but if you can find other fresh ingredients, you can use them to make your nachos taste fresh.
Should You Eat Your Nachos With a Fork or With Your Fingers?
When you ate your nachos for the first time, it was definitely better to enjoy them using your fingers. Most of the chips were whole and the toppings formed a perfect layer on top.
However, when you enjoy your nachos the second time, it might be better to use a fork. The chips will be broken, and the toppings will not sit as well on top of the chip. It may seem strange to you to use a fork when eating nachos, but this is how they eat leftover nachos in Mexico.
Conclusion
The key to making great reheated nachos is to separate the ingredients and to scrape your tortilla chips clean before reheating. This will keep the nachos from being a nasty, sloppy mess. It is a lot of work, but it is worth the effort.
You can reheat your nachos in the microwave, but they won’t be as crispy. Both the conventional oven and the toaster oven will make excellent leftover nachos. The best, but the most difficult, is to reheat your nachos on the stovetop.