Bet You Didn't Know…Nachos

Photo by Jennifer Feuchter, CC

Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya is credited with inventing Nachos, those delicious melted cheese and jalapeno concoctions.

In 1943, Mr. Anaya was working at a restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico, when a bunch of hungry army wives arrived. He threw ingredients together and called it the same as his nickname–Nacho.

Photo Credit: By Jennifer Feuchter from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

Nachos Conquer Stadiums

Then in 1976, Frank Liberto introduced nachos to hungry fans at Arlington Stadium. Of course, by this time, everyone in Texas was familiar with nachos. Liberto concocted a cheese sauce that didn't need refrigeration. It was liquidy and could be pumped or spooned over the corn chips. So nachos was a quick dish to throw together in the concession stands.

The first season Nachos were sold at Arlington Stadium, they grossed over $800,000 in sales, beating the previous high seller, popcorn, by a huge margin.

How To Make

All you need are 3 things for simple nachos: tortilla or corn chips, cheese of some kind, and sliced jalapeno peppers. Easiest? Melt Velveeta processed cheese and pour over corn chips then top with sliced peppers.

Better? Lowest salt chips you can get. Sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese, top with sliced jalapeno peppers, and run it under a broiler until cheese bubbles. Fantastic.

Want something extra special? Just load them up with charro beans, sour cream, taco meat, and picante. Scrumptious.

Takeaway Truth

Nachos may not meet gourmet standards, but that doesn't stop everyone from loving them.