Dr. Pepper BBQ Chicken Nachos 5.06 Norman Mailer, I'm Pregnant

“Okay, I've got to go. You have to stir the nacho cheese every twenty minutes or it forms kind of a rock.” “Go stir the cheese”

Ingredients:

For the Dr. Pepper BBQ chicken:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

• ½ tsp cumin

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp cardamom

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 10 oz barbecue sauce

• ¾ cup Dr. Pepper

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

For the cheese sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 1 cup heavy cream

• ½ cup whole milk

• 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• ½ tsp chili powder

• ¼ tsp cayenne powder

For the grilled corn:

• 10 oz canned corn

• ¼ cup red onion, finely diced

• 2 tbsp lime juice

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• ½ tsp chili powder

• 1 tbsp cilantro

For nacho assembly:

• 1 bag tortilla chips

• 1 jalapeño, de-seeded and sliced

• ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced

• ⅓ cup sour cream

• 1-2 tbsp lime juice

• Queso fresco for serving

Directions:

For the Dr. Pepper BBQ chicken:

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

2. Combine all seasonings to a small bowl then rub the seasoning mixture into the chicken on both sides. Drizzle the olive oil onto both sides of the chicken and rub in.

3. Place a large stock pot over medium low heat. Add the chicken to the pot.

4. Pour the barbecue sauce, Dr. Pepper, and vinegar over the chicken. Place a lid over the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour.

5. Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce then set aside.

For the cheese sauce:

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to form a roux (a mixture of fat and flour to thicken sauces).

2. Carefully pour in the cream and milk. Whisk to combine with the roux.

3. Add in the cheeses and stir until a thick sauce forms then stir in the seasonings.

4. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting so that the cheese doesn’t clump up. Stir occasionally (just like Dean).

For the grilled corn:

1. Heat a grill pan to medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan before adding the corn and onion.

2. Add the lime juice then add the seasonings. Allow to grill for about 8-10 minutes or until the corn begins to char.

3. Add in the cilantro and grill for an additional 2-3 minutes.

4. Set aside.

To assemble nachos

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Brush olive oil across a baking sheet.

3. Spread the tortilla chips in an even layer. Then spread the cheese sauce across the chips.

4. Add the shredded chicken on top of the chips and any remaining BBQ sauce.

5. Add the grilled corn evenly on top of the chicken.

6. Add the sliced jalapeño and red onion.

7. Bake at 425 F for 10-15 minutes or until the chips have become soft.

8. While the nachos bake, combine the sour cream and lime juice in a small bowl.

9. After taking the nachos out of the oven, drizzle the sour cream mixture over the top with a fork.

10. Add crumbled queso fresco on top.

"I want to take a bath in that sauce"

I’m so excited to share these nachos with you. The inspiration for using Dr. Pepper with barbecue sauce comes from a taco place with a taco on the menu called the Dr. Pepper Cowboy and they combine Dr. Pepper and barbecue sauce with chicken. I thought it would be fitting for this scene shared by Alexis Bledel and Jared Padalecki who are both from Texas where Dr. Pepper was invented. It just so happens that I’m also from Texas, so it felt like the perfect choice.

So while the nachos sound kind of gross on the show (“you have to stir the nacho cheese every 20 minutes otherwise it forms kind of a rock”), I didn’t want to do you dirty. I made sure to load these nachos up with as many good flavors as I could think of. And trust me, they do not disappoint.

You'll look for a bit of char on your corn to add that grilled flavor.

On a bit of another note, I’m really excited to announce that I will be judging the cooking contest for Remarkist’s Super Sensational Summer Spectacular! A little over a year ago, John Cabrera (who played Brian on Gilmore Girls) started a rewatch of our favorite show with fans. He was able to build a strong community, and they call themselves the Remarkists. Now they watch several shows and movies together as a fandom. To commemorate their first anniversary, they are hosting the June Spectacular—another rewatch of Gilmore with a bunch of games and special events.

I know it's tempting to eat the nachos before baking them, but trust me, it will be worth the wait!

I am so excited and honored to have been asked to host the cooking contest. We will be announcing which items I’ve made that will be on the menu later today, so be sure to watch my Instagram and the Remarkist socials as well if you’d like to participate. The Spectacular will kick off on June 3rd (naturally) and John and I will be revealing the winner on Clubhouse!

Grab your cowgirl hat and your Icee and dig in!

Happy Cooking from the Hollow!

If you missed what I made last episode, catch up here!