The discussion revolves around various snack recipes, with a particular focus on nachos. Participants share their favorite methods and ingredients for preparing snacks, exploring both simple and more elaborate recipes.
Participants express a variety of opinions on snack preparation, particularly regarding the use of Velveeta cheese and the definition of nachos. No consensus is reached on the best methods or ingredients, and multiple competing views remain throughout the discussion.
Some recipes rely on specific brands or products, such as Ro-Tel tomatoes and Velveeta cheese, which may not be universally available or preferred. Additionally, personal taste preferences significantly influence the suggestions made by participants.
Readers interested in snack preparation, particularly those looking for creative and varied recipes for gatherings or casual eating, may find this discussion beneficial.
Pengwuino said:
I always make 6 pizza bagels, despite the fact I'll usually only eat 3 or 4 over the course of an evening. The other 2 are left for lunch, which I always forget to bring, so they're left to eat when I get home. I've never mixed milk with Velveeta either. But, a variation on this recipe is to get a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes (you'll find them in the section of the grocery store with all the regular canned tomatoes). The Ro-Tel brand ones have chili peppers in them, maybe some other stuff. Cut a 1 lb block of Velveeta into cubes, dump that and the can of Ro-Tel into a microwave safe dish, and nuke it for a while until all melted (stop it to stir every few minutes). I think this recipe is on the Ro-Tel can itself, but ignore their directions of how long to nuke it, that's too long and you'll get burnt cheese and a mess in the microwave. Then you can dip any favorite snack chips in (I actually really like it with Fritos rather than nachos...they're better for scooping). It's a good party dip.Gale17 said:
Oh yes, they're great. I do that with chicken. Actually, I put a cup of dry rice in the bottom of a baking dish, put boneless chicken breasts on top, add the Ro-Tel tomatoes and a little extra water (maybe another half cup?)...you need to gauge how much water is in the tomatoes and add enough additional to cook the rice. Cover it, stick it in the oven until the chicken is cooked, which is long enough to cook the rice too, and you have a whole dinner in one dish. The rice sometimes ends up a bit mushier than if you cooked it separately on the stove top, but it has all that yummy flavor in it from the tomatoes and chicken, and it's just so easy when you don't have time to watch things on the stove.Gale17 said:
. And preformed shells will get you the death sentence... You can bake, or fry, and then bake the shells with liberal quantities of sharp, or better yet, extra sharp Cheddar cheese. Any number of other cheeses may also be used, but really sharp cheddar is awesome. Then, about half way through the baking, apply minced onions and garlic, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and red pepper. Continue baking at 350F until the cheese and onion start to brown around the edges. The high heat causes a chemical reaction [of some kind?] that causes the cheese to take on that unique nacho flavor. If it doesn't get hot enough it just tastes like regular old cheese. velveta is what is know as a cheese food product. This means that it is produced near a cheese factory, it may be the refined results of a good floor cleaning at the cheese factory. It bears little resemblence to cheese in texture, more like old jello, less in taste, like something swept off a cheese factory floor.brewnog said:What the hell is Velveta?
Ivan Seeking said:
Yeah, I'm always suspicious of something that has cheese in the name but doesn't need refrigeration. It's sort of a safety yellow/orange color. Weird stuff. I really only like it in that dip I described. When I was a kid, my mom used to make everything out of it. I didn't even know I liked mac and cheese until I moved away from home and someone served a version not made with Velveeta.Integral said:
It's for making tacos. Ortega is the biggest brand name I see, I think El Paso brand makes them too. They come with the taco shells, some sort of icky seasoning to put in ground beef (it's always too salty for me and makes the ground beef taste nothing like taco meat to me), and some other sauces I think. It's been a long time since I've bought one of those since I didn't like it. You can just buy the shells, but they already look like tacos, and I don't think you could call them "raw." I really rarely eat tacos at all, so may have overlooked something of interest in that aisle, but I've never seen anything I would think would be called a "raw" shell.Ivan Seeking said:
I don't think we can get soft enough (i.e., properly ripened) avocados around here to scoop with a potato chip...I'm luck to get them soft enough to mash with a fork; any softer and they start turning brown inside and I'm sure they aren't supposed to still be eaten when they are that color.Moonbear said:
Tom Mattson said:
I love stuffed mushrooms. Yummy.Tom Mattson said:
I haven't done that in ages! That's how crackers used to be served at my grandmother's house. It was one of my favorite after-school snacks.Echo 6 Sierra said:
