CHILI PARLOR NACHOS

"Eating these nachos -- mounded high, mortared together with melted cheese, and topped with steaming chile con carne -- is an exercise in manual dexterity and greed: Provide plenty of napkins. In Texas there are some pretty good brands of canned chili for sale, but in the rest of the country you may prefer to use homemade."

8 ounces tostaditas*
2 1/2 cups grated medium-sharp cheddar cheese
6 pickled jalapeno chiles, stemmed and minced
1 1/2 cups chili with beans
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
4 ounces sour cream

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Layer half of the tostaditas in a round 10-inch ovenproof serving dish (we use a white ceramic quiche dish). Scatter half the cheese and half the jalapenos evenly over the tostaditas. Mound the remaining tostaditas in the dish. Scatter the remaining cheese and jalapenos over these tostaditas.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the tostaditas are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the chili to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Whisk the sour cream until smooth and shiny.

Pour the chili evenly over the hot nachos. Sprinkle the onions evenly over the chili, top the entire business with the sour cream, and serve immediately.

* Unspiced, lightly salted, commercially prepared tortilla chips.

Servings: 4-6
Source: The El Paso Chile Company's Texas Border Cookbook by W. Park Kerr and Norma Kerr