Sheet Pan Stroganoff and Nachos

 

Mash-ups are an unusual combination of ingredients that result in something unique. My first experience with mash-ups started in my teens. We used to go to a dance place called the Purple Barn in Eden Prairie, MN. One night Randy Nordquist, Mark Enger and I were headed for a night of dancing in Maureen's (Mark's mom) Ford Falcon. Mark had swiped an empty, plastic, bee-shaped honey dispenser and filled it with stolen whiskey and grape juice. We'd squeeze out a shot and then pass it around until the little bee was empty. Randy decided that the name of this mash-up should be called "Bum's Drink". That was a perfect name.

I think food mash-ups are perhaps the most interesting. My mom used to make herself a "Joey Balboa Sandwich". It was a combo of sliced bananas and peanut butter on white bread. Not my cup of tea, but it was certainly her favorite mash-up. Food author Dan Whalen recently penned a book called "Nachos for Dinner". My favorite recipe in the book is called "Stroganachos", which as the name suggests, is a mash-up of beef stroganoff and nachos. The fact that it comes together as a super-simple sheet pan dinner is an awesome bonus.

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups sour cream

Juice of 1 lime

Sea salt

2 tablespoons butter

4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 pound of sirloin, cut into strips

1 bag tortilla chips (12 ounces)

8 ounces shredded jack cheese

2 green onions, sliced 

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix sour cream, lime juice and a pinch of sea salt. Stir well to mix.
2. Preheat oven to 400º.
3. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté  until browned (about 5 minutes).
4. Add the steak to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until medium rare (about 3 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in half of the sour cream/lime mixture.
5. Add all of the chips to a sheet pan and spread evenly
6. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the chips. Evenly add the steak and mushroom mixture, then sprinkle again with the other half of the cheese.
7. Place pan on middle rack and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. You want the cheese to melt and the chips just starting to brown.
8. Remove pan from the oven and top with the other half of the sour cream/lime mixture and the green onions. Serve immediately.

Wine pairing: Malbec