National Nachos Day – November 6, 2022, history, significance
November 6 is National Nachos Day! On this day we celebrate everyone’s favorite snack no matter how you make it. Chicken or beef? Beans or salsa? Cheddar or that yellow stuff they top chips with at football games? There’s no one specific way to make it as long as it has two main ingredients: Chips and as much cheese as you can pile on!
History of National Nachos Day
It was created sometime around 1943. Nachos can be made quickly and served as a snack, an appetizer, or prepared with extra ingredients as a full meal. The original recipe is printed in the 1954 St. Anne’s Cookbook. In 1943, when the wives of some American soldiers assigned nearby came into his restaurant, the maitre d’hotel, a name was Ignacio
“Nacho” Anaya, had to make them something to eat. The problem was that is evening, and already a few minutes past closing time, so Ignacio didn’t have enough ingredients removed to make any real, full dish—all he had were tortillas, shredded cheese, and some pickled jalapeno peppers.
NATIONAL NACHOS DAY TIMELINE
1954
By the book
The St. Anne’s Cookbook published Anaya’s original recipe for nachos.
1959
Nachos Go Coastal
An L.A. waitress named Carmen Rocha, brings the dish to Southern California’s El Cholo restaurant.
1978
Monday Night nachos
Famed sportscaster Howard Cosell, turns an entire nation onto a new snack during a game between the then-Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys.
2019
Nachos are a home run
The Houston Astros tribute “Walkoff Nachos” on the menu at Minute Maid Park to second baseman Jose Altuve’s iconic “walk-off” home run.
NATIONAL NACHOS DAY ACTIVITIES
Have a nacho competition
They have chili cookoffs, barbecue competitions, and even bake-offs, so why not an annual nacho competition? Well, you’ll be happy to know that at the Port Jefferson Station in New York, they actually do hold an annual Nacho Fest, but you don’t have to go there to experience it! What with the many ways you can serve up this crunchy culinary masterpiece, invite some of your most talented tortilla artists over to bring their best recipe to the table.
Hit your local cineplex
At this point, nachos have become just as much a movie theater staple as popcorn. This National Nachos Day, try taking in a blockbuster while skipping on the popcorn. Instead, when you hit the concession stand, make a hot, melty plate of nachos the star of the show. Don’t forget the extra cheese!
Perfect the chip-to-cheese ratio
One flaw many people note about nachos is that you can only cover so many tortilla chips with cheese. Eventually, you’re left with the bottom chips, which might as well have been left in the bag where you found them. This doesn’t have to be the case! Next time, place those chips on a cookie sheet and space them apart. Cover each chip with cheese and bake. Plate the chips and top with your favorite extras. You’ll guarantee those bottom chips get all the cheesy love they deserve.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL NACHOS DAY
They’re perfect for any party
Is there any celebration nachos aren’t welcome? Seriously, Super Bowl, Fourth of July, birthdays — if you’re bringing nachos, you might as well throw on a cape while you’re at it because you just became the hero of the party! Don’t be that person who shows up with a five-dollar bag of plain potato chips; whip out that salsa and make a statement!
They can be topped with just about anything
It doesn’t have to be all about the guacamole and hot sauce. You can make nachos that fit any style of cuisine. How about giving your nachos a Mediterranean flare by subbing out those tortillas and beans for pita chips and hummus? Fan of Italian food? Try crisping up some pizza dough and topping it with marinara and mozzarella! The possibilities are endless.
They can be a snack or a meal
It’s hard to really classify what nachos actually are. The chips would lead you to believe they’re a snack, but what with all those toppings, how can it not be a meal? That’s the great thing about nachos, they can be either. Perfect for either lunch or dinner, nachos are also only one fried egg away from being a breakfast staple as well!
