Feliz Navidad with Christmas Nachos & Holiday Margaritas

We want to wish you a Merry Christmas with nachos and holiday margaritas! Last Friday I walked into the grocery store (QFC) to discover these Xochitl Red & Green Corn Chips. And like any other sane person, I immediately thought “Christmas Nachos”! Quickly followed by “with Holiday Margaritas.” Of course, I then texted Mallory.

Three bags of chips later, Mallory and I separately brainstormed our Christmas nacho recipes. Mallory went the route of traditional Christmas-themed toppings (i.e. red and green) – diced bell pepper, salsa, jalapenos, tomatoes, and avocado with CHRISTMAS QUESO. This stuff is amazing! Mallory and I literally stood in front of the stove with a bag of chips in hand scooping it into our mouths. Satisfyingly reminiscent of the ballpark but with enough red and green to make it festive. Whereas, I tried to incorporate holiday flavors into my nachos such as pomegranate and mint with a touch of spice. The carne asada turned out fantastic with the pomegranate marinade. Below are the recipes we came up with.

Christmas nachos and holiday margaritas are a new holiday tradition that I look forward to repeating year after year (and a great way to make a Sunday Seahawks game more festive)!

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Megan’s Christmas Carne Asada Nachos

• 1 pound flank steak, cooked and diced
• 1 12-oz bag Xochitl Red & Green Corn Chips
• 8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
• 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup diced Trader Joe’s pickled fermented jalapeno slices
• Mint Pesto
• fresh mint and cilantro diced, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chips on the prepared baking sheet. Top with diced flank steak and shredded cheese. Place into oven and bake until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately, drizzled with mint pesto and sprinkled with pomegranates, diced jalapeno, and fresh mint/cilantro.

Pomegranate Marinade

• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (approximately 2 limes)
• 1 cup cilantro chopped
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• minced jalapeno to taste
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 Tbsps white vinegar

Combine all marinade ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized plastic bag and shake to combine. Then add flank steak and let marinate in refrigerator over night. Barbeque for best results.

Mint Pesto

• 1/3 cup walnuts (shelled)
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon

Make the mint pesto by adding all ingredients into a food processor or blender, and blending until well-combined. I like to leave it a tiny bit chunky so you can see the flecks of the mint.

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Mallory’s Holiday Nachos with Christmas Queso

• 1 12-oz bag Xochitl Red & Green Corn Chips
• Tillamook Shredded Mexican Cheese
• Organic ground turkey with taco seasoning, cooked through
• Diced avocado
• Diced jalapenos
• Pico de gallo
• Red and green diced bell pepper
• Christmas Queso

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chips on the prepared baking sheet. Top with ground turkey and shredded cheese. Place into oven and bake until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately, drizzled with Christmas Queso and remainder of Christmas-colored toppings.

Christmas Queso

• 2 pounds queso blanco-style processed cheese, such as Velveeta Queso Blanco, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cans diced tomatoes and green chilies, such as Rotel
• 1 jar diced pimientos 
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped finely 
• Tortilla chips, for serving

Add the cheese to a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add the diced tomatoes and chilies, pimientos and jalapenos and mix. Pour into a chafing dish to keep warm. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe Credit: Food Network

Holiday Margaritas

Clementine Margarita

• 150ml Tequila
• 50ml Cointreau
• 2 Tbsp. agave
• 2 limes, peeled (I found limes very difficult to peel. Next time, I will just add the juice of two limes instead.)
• 3 clementine oranges, peeled
• Ice

Blend together your tequila, Cointreau, agave and fruit. Strain through a sieve (optional), blend with lots of ice and serve. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds prior to serving.

Recipe Credit: @rosielondoner

Christmas Margarita

• 1 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup Cointreau
• 1/3 cup simple syrup (to taste) (Original recipe called for 1/2 cup simple syrup. I found the margaritas a little too sweet for my taste. Next time I would try reducing to 1/3 cup or maybe even less, but I like my margaritas tart!)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
• 2 tsp. powdered egg whites (Original recipe calls for 1 tsp fresh egg whites. I am a worrier and prefer to use powdered egg whites as a substitute.)
• sea salt, for serving 
• rosemary springs, for serving

Combine all ingredients except alcohol in a blender and blend until just mixed. Then add tequila and Cointreau and blend until very frothy! Pour over a salt-rimmed Santa glass filled with ice. Garnish with rosemary sprig. Serves 4.

Recipe Credit: The Defined Dish

Unbeknownst to me prior to this post, Tostitos is also pushing a festive nacho recipe marketing campaign for this holiday season. How cute is this nacho wreath with a red bell pepper bow? Click here for Tostitos’ recipe for their Holly Jolly Nachos.

We highly recommend you celebrate this weekend before Christmas with our themed nachos and holiday margaritas! Feliz Navidad! And send us pictures of your holiday nachos at @letswineaboutitsister. We cannot wait to see them!