Cheesy Recipeesy: Nuked Nachos

Even though we at The NaCho Blog are very pinkies up about our nachos, that doesn't mean you have to be an Iron Chef to win our graces. Sometimes when things get rough, you can't afford the aforementioned dicer, or it's 3 a.m. and you somehow know better than to pick up a knife, let's make it clear right now that in these cases it is ok to use your beloved microwave.

Dave Lieberman from Epicurious.com brings this quicky method home with his Young and Hungry recipe for Nuked Nachos. So don't be ashamed of that random can of beans in the back of your cabinet, be proud of that bag of chips... it's ok with us. Because as good ol' Dave puts it, "A few minutes in the microwave makes everything warm and gooey." Amen, Dave, amen.

What You Need:
One 16-ounce can refried beans
1/2 cup reduced-fat or regular sour cream
3/4 cup bottled salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
A few big handfuls of yellow corn tortilla chips

How You Work the Magic:
With a large spoon spread out the beans in a ring on a large microwave-safe dinner plate, leaving clear about 4 inches in the center of the plate. That's where you're going to pile the chips. Smear the sour cream and then the salsa over the beans. Sprinkle about half of the cheese and then the cilantro over everything. As you build up the layers, be sure to leave the space in the center of the plate empty.

Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove the plate from the microwave, pile the chips in the center of the plate, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the chips. Return the plate to the microwave and nuke again on high for 1 minute, until the cheese has melted. Use a pot holder to take the plate out of the oven; it will be hot. Dash with a couple pinches of chopped cilantro. Serve hot.

Makes 1 big plate.