I never thought I’d be caught up in a love triangle, but if you try to make me choose between a bunch of nachos and couple of slices of pizza (both of which are conveniently triangle-shaped, I might add), things are going to get reaaal emotional up in here.
Nachos, pizza, and I have enjoyed many long, romantic walks to the kitchen table together. They’ve been there for me when no one else has. They make me want to write super-cheesy things about them. (See what I did there? Okay, okay, I’m stopping.) The point is, choosing between them is pretty much impossible.
But as much as I boast on here about being a bottomless pit of insatiable hunger, I can’t usually eat both pizza and nachos in one sitting, and that is a problem that breaks my little cheese-lovin, topping-adoring, might-as-well-be-triangular heart. What’s a girl with a broken triangle heart smothered in various meats and sauces to do? Well, she’s gotta patch it up with Pizza Nachos.
I’ve made Pizza Nachos before this batch, I’ve seen some across the web, and I’ve gotta say: I haven’t been impressed. There isn’t anything wrong with tortilla chips that are covered in melted cheese and pepperoni and then dipped into tomato sauce– I certainly wouldn’t push them away– but it feels like squandered potential. You know what I’m saying? I mean, my favorite thing about nachos is the insane amount of toppings and sauces piled up, and pizza just ain’t pizza without the chewy crust.
But these Loaded Pizza Nachos with Creamy Garlic White Sauce don’t cut any corners.
And it all starts with pizza crust chips. These are really simple to make and let me tell you, they are good. All I do to make them is get some pre-made dough from the frozen section of my grocery store, thaw it, and then roll it out. Once it’s thin, I brush it with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt, and bake it until golden and beginning to brown in spots. I cut the dough into triangles, and then I try my damnedest not to eat too many of them before they get smothered with toppings.
The hardest part is definitely the “try not to eat them all” part.
Next, I top the chips with the first round of toppings. You can get creative with yours based on your favorite pizza toppings, but I went with crumbled Italian sausage, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms, which I sauteed up together. I also spooned over some marinara sauce to go under the cheese.
And yes, there is a lot of cheese coming up.
But before we get to the cheese, let’s talk about that other stuff that looks like melted cheese. That white sauce is actually an ultra-garlicky bechamel. While it does have a bit of cheese mixed in, I make the majority of the sauce from flour-thickened butter and cream. And like I said, it’s super garlicky. Do not go gentle into that two-cloves-of-garlic BS that some recipes will spout at you. Put in as much garlic as you can get your hands on. That’s my philosophy, at least.
First, I sprinkle some cheese over the toppings I mentioned earlier. Next, I pour over the Creamy Garlic White Sauce. Then, I add even more shredded cheese, anything I can scrape out of the toppings bowls, and the pepperoni. Oh and then just a tiny bit more cheese. You can’t ever have too much cheese. It’s not a thing.
Once they’re all topped up, the Loaded Pizza Nachos with Creamy Garlic White Sauce are ready to finish off in the oven.
Topped with a little extra marinara sauce and they are too good for words, my friends.
Let’s be real, they’re Pizza Nachos. They combine two of the greatest cheese masterpieces known to man. They weren’t going to be bad. But they’re SO MUCH BETTER than you imagine. Trust me on that.
By the way, these Loaded Pizza Nachos with Creamy Garlic White Sauce are 100% Football Sunday approved, even by our resident mushroom-haters. Make these for Sunday snacking and you’ll be treated like royalty by the rest of the crew. You know, as long as you share.
Oh and while you’re at it, don’t forget to take a picture and tag #hostthetoast on Instagram to show of your little “triangles of love” on the You Made It page! I can’t wait to see ’em.
- 2 pounds frozen pizza dough, thawed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 8 ounces casing-less Italian sausage
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 2 ounces baby mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 cup marinara
- 1 pound shredded Italian cheeses
- 6 ounces thick-sliced pepperoni
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ¾ cups cream or milk
- ¼ cups parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh basil, cut into ribbons (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the pizza dough out until very thin and even. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the dough until golden, rotating if necessary. The timing will vary depending on your dough, so be sure to check often to see when the crust is ready.
- Allow the pizza crust to cool slightly and cut into triangles. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook up the toppings. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble the sausage. Cook the sausage, stirring and breaking it up occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer the cooked sausage crumbles to a bowl and set aside, but leave the oils from the sausage in the skillet.
- Add the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms to the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add in the flour, whisking constantly, until paste-like in consistency and beginning to turn golden. Whisk in the cream or milk until thick and smooth. The mixture will thicken as it cooks so don't worry if it's too liquidy at first. Stir in the parmesan cheese, dried oregano, and salt to taste. Allow to thicken, stirring constantly, and then set aside.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Spread the chips evenly over a baking sheet. Evenly distribute the sausage and the mushroom mixture, saving a tiny bit for adding on the very top. Spoon over some marinara, and sprinkle some of the mozzarella over top. Using a ladle, pour the creamy garlic white sauce over the pizza nachos. Top with additional cheese, pepperoni, and remaining toppings, as desired.
- Bake until the cheese has entirely melted and the pepperoni begins to crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Serve warm, topped with fresh basil.
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