Shrimp and Brie Cheese Nachos
Whoo-hoo!! Of all the food holidays, this one is my favorite: National Nacho Day! 
What’s wonderful about nachos is that there is no recipe… whatever you’ve got in the pantry or fridge will work. You don’t even need corn chips… I’ve seen nachos made with pita bread and cucumber slices. Heck, I once ate a Japanese Maki called the “Nacho Roll” loaded with jalapenos, sour cream, chorizo and seared tuna. Now that’s inventive.
For basic nachos, all you need to do is top corn chips with shredded cheese and microwave or heat in the oven until nice and melty. If you want a little heat, add fresh or pickled jalapeños or serrano peppers. Cooked ground beef, turkey or chicken will up the protein level. Sour cream, guacamole, chopped cilantro, sautéed onions and diced red or green peppers are excellent on top. It’s all up to you…that’s the beauty of nachos!
I’m going to get fancy, since this is such a special day: Sautéed Shrimp and Brie Nachos. I didn’t use jalapeños because I don’t want to mask the wonderful flavor of the shrimp and creamy Brie cheese. I added a dash of paprika for a little color and a hint of smokiness. You won’t need the oven to melt the cheese because the shrimp will be hot out of the pan.
Sautéed Shrimp and Brie Nachos
prep: 20 minutes
cook: 15 minutes
about 15 servings (2 chips each)
you’ll need…
30 tortilla chips
6 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 30 small pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pushed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound shrimp (31 to 35 count), peeled, deveined with tails removed
¼ cup chopped red and green pepper
let’s get to it…
Place tortilla chips on a serving platter. Top with small pieces of brie; set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until softened but not brown. Stir in the paprika.
Lower heat to medium low and add the shrimp. Sauté shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes or until pink.
Remove from heat. Place 1 shrimp on top of cheese and tortilla chip. Garnish with chopped red and green pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
