S’mores shouldn’t be the only snack around the campfire this summer! Treat your friends to this fun and unexpected camp treat! Tipsy Campfire Nachos are the perfect excuse to crack open another beer and relax around the fire in the great outdoors.
This post contains sponsored content. I was fortunate enough to receive monetary compensation and/or products from Dairy Farmers of Canada. Although compensated for my efforts, all opinions are my own.
Raise your hand if you are looking for more creative snacks for around the campfire than s’mores, smokies and banana boats? Don’t get me wrong, I love the classics. In fact, last weekend I indulged in a few too many s’mores and barely had room for dinner. I just like to keep things fresh and fun and often find it hard to play the role of hostess extraordinaire when working with a limited camp kitchen. Thankfully, Dairy Farmers of Canada recently sent me the most unique cheese that really challenged me to rise to the occasion and get cooking with Canadian Cheese – over a campfire!
The cheese in question is a beautifully hued Mutchli (Swiss style) cheese aptly named Tipsy. You see, Tipsy is actually soaked in a Cabernet Merlot for several days, giving the cheese’s rind a deep reddish-purple hue and a smooth, yet distinct flavour. This cheese from Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheeses is distinct yet accessible, meaning it is the perfect cheese for entertaining. Gunn’s Hill suggests pairing this cheese with Lager style beers, which really intrigued me since the cheese was made with red wine. At any rate, I took their advice and was so glad I did.
Close-up time! See the purple amongst the melted cheese? That is the edible, wine-soaked, rind of Tipsy!
Taking a hint from the cheese’s name, I thought about some of my favourite camping activities. As much as I like to get out, explore and hike the trails or beaches around my favourite campgrounds, I’ll admit that 99.99% of my time camping is spent sitting around a campfire with a beer in hand just waiting for my turn to stoke the fire. I don’t care if it’s 25 degrees Celsius and no clouds in the sky, I am hanging by the fire! So, I made a dish to match that exact activity.
Using budget-friendly ground pork, my killer taco seasoning mixture, peppers, a half a can of beer and an ample amount of Tipsy cheese, these campfire nachos are the reason you will want to start planning a camping trip.
Plan ahead and prep as much as you can before heading-off on your adventure in the woods. I like to prep my spice mixture when I am packing and store it in a sandwich bag. I also grated the Tipsy cheese and put it in a sealed, airtight container and stored it in my cooler until ready to make the nachos. As much fun to make as they are to eat, just make sure you have a heavy-duty oven mitt for placing and removing your cast iron skillet from the fire. And beer, please ensure you have lots and lots of beer.
Want the ultimate Canadian campfire experience? Eat Tipsy Campfire Nachos around the campfire with friends while listening to Blue Rodeo’s ‘Paradise’. You’re welcome.
Planning on making these Tipsy Campfire Nachos? If you can’t get your hands on Tipsy from Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese make sure you reach for a favourite Canadian Cheese. There is no reason not to buy Canadian when it comes to sourcing your cheese! Canada boasts award winning, unique and delicious cheese suited for all palettes and all budgets.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium sized red pepper, diced
- 2 jalapenos, seeds removed and finely diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ can of beer (lager or pale ale)
- ¼ cup water
- ½ block of Tipsy cheese, grated
- 1 250 gram bag of tortilla chips
- Optional Garnishes including Chopped cilantro, Lime Wedges and/or Sour Cream
Instructions
- At home, mix spice mixture and cornstarch in a small sandwich bag and pack with other food.
- Once at the camp, brown ground pork in cast iron skillet over hot white coals or low flame. Add onion, jalapeno and red peppers and cook until onions are fragrant.
- Add spice mixture to meat and veggies and stir in tomato paste. Crack open a beer and slowly pour half into skillet, stirring carefully to avoid steam. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often and adding water as needed to ensure a thick sauce.
- Remove skillet from fire and pour mixture into bowl and set aside.
- Layer half the tortilla chips, half the meat sauce and half the cheese in same cast iron skillet (be careful, skillet will be very hot). Repeat. Cover with aluminum foil and return to heat for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted throughout.
- Remove from heat and, using tongs, serve nachos on plates with desired optional garnishes. Do not eat directly from the cast iron skillet as it retains heat for a long period of time. Finish your beer and enjoy!
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