Building a superior Super Bowl nacho bar comes down to the 3 C’s — chips, cheese, chiles

If I’ve learned anything from researching nachos, it’s that some of us have very different ideas of what the dish looks like. Some swear by the spare original recipe, claiming, correctly, that nachos started out as nothing more than tortilla chips, cheese and pickled jalapenos. (Fun fact: Many of these people are Texans.) Others picture a towering tray of chips piled high with dozens of ingredients.

But what if you're throwing a Super Bowl party and need to please both the austere and maximalist nacho fan?

That's easy. Just prepare the nachos the original way and serve all the accoutrements your heart could desire on the side. That way you can take a chip and top it exactly as you see fit. Plus, you might realize that there is wisdom lurking in that first recipe.

[ Heading to a bar to watch the game? These are the 11 best nachos served in Chicago ]

At the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, Mexico, in 1943, Ignacio Anaya had a problem. As Robb Walsh details in “The Tex-Mex Cookbook,” a group of hungry American women needed a snack, but the cook had gone home. With the group loading up on chicos, a popular cocktail at the time featuring tequila and blackberry liqueur, something needed to be done quickly. As the story goes, Anaya gathered some tortilla chips and topped each one with a pinch of cheese and a pickled jalapeno, stuck them in the oven, and presented the results.

Anaya dubbed the dish “Nacho’s especial,” as Nacho was a common nickname for Ignacio. The name was eventually shortened to nachos, and one of the most popular bar snacks in history was born.

It’s easy to see why. An ideal nacho bite combines the crunch of the chip, the creaminess of the cheese, and the spicy and acidic kick of the pickled jalapeno chile. I call these components the three C’s (chips, cheese, chiles) that form the firm foundation of all great nachos. Without them, your nachos stand on shaky ground. Which isn’t to say I’m against any additions. Far from it. But nail the nacho basics, and you’re set up for success.

Start with the tortilla chips. While store-bought tortilla chips work, there’s something irresistible about freshly fried. They meld better with the toppings while maintaining their crunch. All you need to do is quarter some corn tortillas and fry them in oil until lightly brown. Some tortillas work better than others. Although I love El Milagro tortillas for tacos, their high-moisture content means they don’t fry well. (Many restaurants buy El Milagro tortillas specially formulated with less water to fry faster, though these aren’t available at regular grocery stores.) Instead, try a company like Atotonilco or, surprisingly, Whole Foods. Many recipes suggest using stale corn tortillas, but you can also bake them for a few minutes in a hot oven to dry them out before frying.

Considering you went ahead and fried your own chips, now is not the time to waste on preshredded cheese. Those often contain anti-clumping ingredients, which affect the taste and texture of the cheese when it melts. Break out your grater and get to work.

But what cheese to use? According to a detailed post by the Homesick Texan, the cheese used in the very first nachos was longhorn cheddar, something I’d never heard of before. It’s apparently similar to colby cheese, except it’s cut into a half-moon shape. I was able to track down some longhorn cheddar at Carniceria Jimenez (3850 W. Fullerton Ave.), where it was also labeled queso de papa. If you can’t find longhorn, start with colby or a mild cheddar.

Now that you have the cheese, make sure to use the right amount. This depends on the size and thickness of your tortilla chip, but if you’re frying quartered tortillas, I found that 5 grams of cheese per tortilla chip was right, which works out to about half a tablespoon. This gives you a nice base without weighing down the chip.

Finally, don’t forget the pickled jalapeno. I know it seems excessive to place one on every chip, but it adds both heat and acidity, helping to cut through the melted cheese. Use fresh jalapeno slices, and you’ll miss the acidity.

[ We tasted 6 brands of pizza rolls to find the ultimate Super Bowl appetizer ]

Well, that’s it for the original recipe. Although I could describe lovingly the wonders of this stripped-down classic, I hardly ever stop here. Fortunately, if you nail the base, then you can add all kinds of tempting things on top. My favorites? I love adding refried beans, which amps up the creaminess without making things too greasy. Guacamole works the same way. While a beefy chili wouldn’t be out of place, I prefer cooked and crumbled chorizo. Pickled red onions work great in tandem with the pickled jalapenos. Salsa is never a bad idea.

Honestly, the only limit is your imagination. Because every chip is already blessed with an ideal amount of cheese and heat, almost anything you add will taste great.

Nacho bar

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

6 corn tortillas (6 inches wide), quartered

3 to 4 cups peanut oil

Salt

8 ounces longhorn cheddar, queso de papa, colby or mild cheddar, shredded

4 pickled jalapenos, from a can, stemmed, thinly sliced

Eat. Watch. Do.

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Garnishes:

Guacamole, salsa, refried beans, cooked chorizo, sour cream, pickled red onions

1. Arrange oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange quartered tortillas on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake, 6 minutes. Remove pan from the oven; allow chips to cool.

2. Place a wire rack over a sheet pan; set aside. Pour enough oil in a medium saucepan to come halfway up the pan; heat until oil reaches 350 degrees. Add 4 to 6 tortilla triangles to the oil and cook for 30 seconds per side, using a pair of tongs to flip. When done, transfer chips to the wire rack to drain. Season each with a sprinkle of salt. Repeat with the remaining tortilla triangles.

3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the fried chips on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle each chip with grated cheese, approximately 5 grams per chip, or about half a tablespoon. Top each with a slice of pickled jalapeno. Place pan in the oven until the cheese just melts but doesn’t start to bubble, about 5 minutes. Remove and carefully transfer nachos to a large platter.

4. Serve nachos with your favorite toppings arranged in bowls so that guests can build their own to their heart’s desire. Great options include guacamole, salsa, refried beans, cooked chorizo, sour cream and pickled red onions.