Alaskan Nachos

Alaskan Nachos

This cool dip has been a family favourite for years.  

Although we never ate it in Alaska! There is something 

completely addictive about the classic combination of 

refried beans, fresh tomato, shallots, and lemony lime 

avocado topped with the cold, oozy sour cream spiked 

with chilli.  Half the pleasure is in the family battle to 

scoop up your favourite layers with the crunchy corn chips.  

It is great to share if the family is craving something a little 
‘bad’ and it is a great way to get the troops to the weekend table 
and share the events and dramas of the day.  

There is a good serving of 3 different vegetables with the option of using low fat sour cream and beans.

If you are searching for a crowd-pleasing ‘bring a plate’ dish  – this is perfect.  It can be made in advance and just needs to be topped with the sour cream layer prior to serving.  

The dip will be cleaned up in record time by all ages! 

Ingredients

1  tin Refried Beans  (approx. 400 grams)

2  large avocadoes – skinned, pitted and mashed  to a medium consistency (not runny)    
with
Juice of 1 lemon or 1 lime – your preference (put juice in a jug, add slowly – may not need all the juice)

3 medium tomatoes – very finely diced. 

It is important to squeeze out as much juice as possible from the diced tomatoes. I use a clean “Chux cloth” and squeeze firmly but not so hard that you only have pulp - you still want small pieces of tomato flesh.  
If you add excessively oozy tomato juice to the dish it will make it soggy later.

1 long stalk of green shallot – very, very finely sliced into thin slivers.  (Or, could use fresh chives)

1 tub of Thickened Light Sour Cream.  Regular is too runny.  (I think a tub is approx. 180 -200 ml??)

Chilli powder  (start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust to your taste)      And for chilli fans - chopped fresh chilli

Parsley – finely chopped – approx. - leaves from 1 -2 stems  or Fresh Coriander leaves

Packet of Corn Chips.  These scoop up the mix, so buy good quality strong chips – not thin or crumbly

Method

Use a serving plate about dinner plate width with approx. 2cm lip. 

Dip can be made a few hours ahead of serving. Keep the sour cream layer separate until ready to serve.

Spoon the Refried Beans onto plate but not right to the edge (this makes scooping easier later). 

Press down but don’t press this layer down heavily. It is easier for scooping if beans are not flattened but have a bit of lightness so they can be scooped up with the other layers.

Then the Avocado mashed with the lemon or lime juice is spooned over beans, allow edge of beans to show

Scatter the squeezed diced tomato and finely sliced shallot slivers together over the avocado

Mix Chilli Powder through the Sour Cream (use amount preferred - to your taste preference).  
Don’t layer  onto dip yet.  Keep in a separate container. Chill until ready to serve.

Keep the plate of dip (loosely covered) and the prepared sour cream - in the fridge until ready to serve. 


Just before serving: 

spoon over the Sour Cream mixture

then sprinkle with parsley and shake of chilli (if desired). 

Non-spicy Option – a shake of paprika instead

Serve with corn chips around edge of plate or serve corn chips in a separate bowl if you prefer.

                                                                           Enjoy     –     Colleen

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