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Short-Order Kitchen

High-Protein Nacho Platter

By Wes Ellis2 min read
A platter of beef nachos with avocado, tomatoes, jalapenos and a drizzle of sour cream.
Recipe card
Servings
2
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
5 minutes
Method
Microwave
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to ingredients & directions ↓

Part 13 of the thread Weeknight dinners

THE SHORT VERSION4 points
  • The queso is blended cottage cheese plus a little shredded cheese.
  • Blend it completely smooth, or it tastes like a topping, not a dip.
  • Microwave the dip 45 to 60 seconds, stirring once.
  • Build it right before eating. Nachos don't wait.
THE RECIPE · HIGH-PROTEIN NACHO PLATTER

Ingredients

Nachos

Cheese dip

Toppings (optional)

You'll need

  • Blender
  • Skillet
  • Microwave-safe bowl
  • Serving plate

Directions

  1. Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth, adding a splash of water only if it won't move. If using Greek yogurt, skip the blender.
  2. Warm the chicken in a skillet with the onion and 1 teaspoon taco seasoning.
  3. Stir the blended cottage cheese, shredded cheese and remaining taco seasoning together in a bowl. Microwave 45 to 60 seconds, stirring once, until hot and smooth.
  4. Spread the chips on a plate, add the chicken and drizzle the dip over the top.
  5. Add toppings and eat right away.
Notes Best fresh. Leftover chicken and dip keep separately for up to 2 days; keep the chips at room temperature. Swap in ground turkey, lean beef or soy crumbles for the chicken. Roughly 300 calories and 25 g protein per serving, give or take.

wesellis.com/blog/high-protein-nacho-platter/

Nachos are really about the cheese sauce. This one is built from cottage cheese, blended until it's silky and then melted with a little shredded cheese and taco seasoning. It's thick and tangy, it clings to chips, and it takes less than a minute in the microwave.

Blend until it's smooth

This is the step that decides whether the dip works. Half-blended cottage cheese still has tiny curds, and after heating it tastes like warm cottage cheese on chips. Keep going until it's glossy with no grain at all. Some brands blend smoother than others, so if yours won't get there, a teaspoon of water or milk helps.

Tip

Greek yogurt is faster, since it's already smooth, but cottage cheese gives a thicker, more queso-like dip. If yours is too thick either way, stir in water a teaspoon at a time.

The same blended cottage cheeseCottage cheese run through a blender until the curds disappear. It turns into something close to sour cream or ricotta and makes a rich, high-protein base for puddings and batters.More: Raspberry Cheesecake Protein Pudding trick is behind Air Fryer Spinach Cottage Cheese Dip.

Assemble last

Prep the toppings before you heat the dip. Once the hot dip hits the chips, the clock is running and soggy is only a few minutes away. Different flavors of protein chips change the result a lot, so try a couple.

Try this

If you'd rather eat this with a fork, the chicken and toppings slide right into a Chipotle-Style Copycat Bowl, or toss them over greens for High Protein Mexican Chicken Salad.

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