Shrimp Nachos with a Kick of Jalapeno

Ingredients

• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ avocado, peeled and pitted
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 pound small Gulf shrimp (50 to 60 per pound), thawed and drained
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 50 large (restaurant-style) tortilla chips, or as needed
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and very thinly sliced
• 3 ½ cups shredded pepperjack cheese, or as needed
• 15 cherry tomatoes, sliced - or as needed
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Step 1

Blend together the sour cream, avocado, and lemon juice until you get a smooth, creamy sauce. Pour it into a squeeze bottle or something similar and pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Step 2

Toss the shrimp in a bowl with some vegetable oil, ground chipotle, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Heat a large nonstick pan over high heat and cook the shrimp in a single layer until they turn pink and are just cooked through—about a minute on each side. Set them aside to cool a bit.

Step 3

Turn on your oven’s broiler and line a baking sheet with foil, then give it a light grease so nothing sticks. Spread the tortilla chips out in a single layer on the sheet, then top each chip with a shrimp, a slice of jalapeno, and a generous pinch of pepper jack cheese.

Step 4

Pop the tray under the broiler and keep a close eye on it—just about a minute is enough for the cheese to melt and the chips to get lightly toasted, but they can burn quickly.

Step 5

Once done, transfer the nachos to a serving platter. Drizzle the avocado cream sauce over the top and sprinkle with chopped cherry tomatoes and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!