Hatch Chile And Cheese Stuffed Soft Pretzel Nachos Food

GRILLED CHEESE-STUFFED CHILE TACOS

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for high heat. Halve the Cubanelle peppers lengthwise, trim the tops and remove the seeds. Drizzle the peppers, tomatoes and onion rounds with oil, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the vegetables on the hot grill, cut-side down, and cook 6 to 7 minutes, flipping halfway through, to get some charred areas and dark grill marks. Set aside the grilled pepper halves.
• Put the grilled tomatoes and onion, garlic, chipotles, cilantro, juice of 1 lime and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a food processor, and pulse about 20 times for a chunky salsa.
• Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits and scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a medium bowl. Add the remaining lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mash the avocado lightly with a fork so that some large pieces remain.
• Stuff about 2 tablespoons of the Monterey Jack into each pepper half. Place a piece of aluminum foil, large enough to hold all the peppers, on the grill. Arrange the stuffed pepper halves on the foil. Cover the grill to melt the cheese, about 4 minutes.
• Heat the tortillas on the grill for about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side for light grill marks. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil to keep them warm and soft.
• To assemble a taco, spread some of the avocado on a tortilla. Top with a stuffed pepper half, followed by a spoonful of salsa, a dollop of the sour cream and some torn cilantro leaves.

ULTIMATE CHILI "CHEESE" NACHOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• For the meatless chili: Heat the oil in a medium-large saucepan. Stir in the onions and red bell pepper and fry at a gentle sizzle until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans, plant-based meat, green beans and garlic. Turn up the heat to hear that sizzle and cook, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the tamari, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, chili paste, chopped tomatoes and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook, checking and stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. The sauce should be rich, tangy and thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, stir in the cilantro.
• For the nacho "cheese" sauce: Heat the oil in a medium pan, stir in the flour and cook, about 1 minute. Gradually stir in the milk using a wooden spoon or whisk to avoid any lumps. Bring to a gently bubbling simmer and cook until the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the nutritional yeast, chipotle paste, bouillon and turmeric, stirring constantly to marry all the flavors, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• For the assembly: Spread the nacho chips on a baking sheet and bake to warm them through, about 3 minutes.
• Spread the chips out onto a platter or in individual bowls. Spoon the nacho sauce onto the warm tortilla chips, add the chili in the middle and top with the jalapenos and cilantro.

GIANT CHEESE-STUFFED PRETZEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Unroll the sheets of pizza dough and stack them one on top of the other. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a 36-by-5-inch plank. Lay the cheese down the length of the plank so all the dough it covered. Sprinkle a line of jalapenos down the center of the cheese. Fold the dough in half lengthwise and pinch the edges together to secure the filling. Roll and stretch the dough with your hands to make a 5-foot rope.
• Form the rope into a giant pretzel shape and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the dough is almost completely cooked through and golden brown all over, about 30 minutes.
• Dissolve the baking soda in 1/2 cup hot water. Brush the pretzel all over with the soda water and continue baking until dark golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes more. Brush with the butter and sprinkle with salt. Let cool 5 minutes, then serve warm.

HATCH CHILE CREAM CHEESE DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the Hatch chiles on a burner over medium-low heat until the skins char and blister; this will happen very quickly. Remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes to steam.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the canola oil, swirling the pan to coat. Add the scallions and cook until slightly softened, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel and seed the chile and then it cut into medium dice. Turn the heat under the skillet to low and add the chiles, cream cheese and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the cream cheese is melted. Add the sour cream, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, and the lime zest. Smooth the top and then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
• Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes.
• Garnish with the dark green scallions and serve with tortilla chips.

PRETZEL NACHOS

Steps:

• Spread pretzels on microwaveable plate.
• Top with cheese.
• Microwave on HIGH 45 sec. or until cheese is melted.