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Game Day Nachos with Shrimp Scampi and Queso

Not your ordinary nachos. These have garlic shrimp and creamy homemade queso over thin, crisp tortilla chips. These are perfect for the Super Bowl or for any time you need to have a crunchy, salty snack with tons of melting cheese sauce. 

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Nachos with Shrimp Scampi and Queso
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the queso:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup finely minced onion
  • 1/2 cup roasted peeled, seeded and finely chopped poblano peppers
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 1/2 cups canned petite diced tomatoes drained
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cubed
  • 16 ounces grated Monterey jack cheese
  • 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • Tabasco sauce

For the shrimp scampi:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 16 ounces raw medium shrimp diced and very dry
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • juice of half of a lemon
  • 11 ounces thin and crispy corn chips
  • 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1-2 jalapeno peppers thinly sliced (optional)
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions

For the queso:

  1. Melt the butter in a medium sized heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and roasted poblano peppers and sauté until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.
  2. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 5 minutes until the garlic is soft. Add the tomatoes and cream cheese and increase the heat to medium high. Stir the mixture until the cream cheese is melted.
  3. Stir in the Monterey Jack cheese in handfuls, allowing the cheese to melt before adding more.
  4. Stir in the cilantro and Tobasco to taste. Set aside while you make the shrimp scampi.

For the shrimp scampi:

  1. Over medium high heat melt the butter. Add the shrimp and garlic and stir the mixture quickly until the shrimp are just cooked, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook them.
  2. Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice and set aside.

For nacho assembly:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. On a large baking sheet scatter the corn chips. Evenly spoon the shrimp scampi over the chips and pour the queso evenly over the shrimp.
  3. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top and bake the nachos for 10 minutes until the cheddar cheese is melted.
  4. Garnish the nachos with the cilantro and the sliced jalapenos, if desired.