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Football season is here and in full force! Make these Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachos with Pineapple Mango Guacamole for your next tailgate and expect winning reviews from all fans!
It seems like for the past few weeks all I have done is ramble on about football! Sure I like football, but I’m not a crazy “paint my face, I can’t miss a game” football fanatic. No, I save that enthusiasm for other nerdy things like food stuff and books and music.
But I do live in Texas, a magical place for many reasons, but football, well it’s like a religion here.
From an early age you are taught about football and that knowledge carries us all through life. In fact, football is SO big here, it’s not just the professional and college teams and players that get state, no national attention, but the high school players as well.
Yes, high school football here in Texas is huge. Communities and small towns come together and gather to cheer on the local high school. There are pep rallies that take up half the school day and parades that go on for miles.
Oh, then there is homecoming, which includes mums that are the size of Texas and every single student, past and present, making the journey back home just for the game.
Yup, Friday nights here in Texas are just like the movies and TV shows, filled with sparkling lights, loud cheers, and lots and lots of traditions.
Even though my high school days are long (long) over, every time I get to watch a game and cheer on my favorite college and professional teams, I think back to my college and high school days and can hear the voices of my friends explaining each pass, each play and each football ritual and time honored tradition to me.
Yeah, I may not be a football fanatic, but I totally “get it” and watching a football game and participating in all those football rituals, is fun and exciting and brings people together. And that, along with many other reasons, it why I love this time of year!
Since I love football season, I love hosting tailgates and football watching parties! Well, if you know me, I pretty much love any excuse to host a party or invite friends and family over for dinner. No matter the party I am hosting, there are always a handful of appetizers I always serve because they are quick and easy, affordable and everyone loves them. Think, veggie platters with dip, cheese and crackers and chips and salsa. Because I am always hosting friends and family, I always stock up on chips and Pace® Chunky Salsa every time I stop into Walmart. This ensures that I always have a snack or appetizer to put out for planned or unexpected football watch parties, card or movie nights, or when I get a random phone call from a friend or family member saying they are coming into town.
Not only is Pace® Chunky Salsa and Pace® Picante sauce great paired with chips for entertaining, I am constantly using salsa in my recipes to give them a southwestern flare or as a quick substitute for canned tomatoes. Whether it is my Slow Cooker Santa Fe Chicken, my Mexican Rice or simply added to my breakfast tacos, Pace® adds that special kick to my favorite dishes.
Since we have been getting together with friends a lot lately to watch football, I was looking to try some new recipes. I still wanted to serve some typical “football food” but wanted something different too. That’s how these Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachos with Pineapple Mango Guacamole were created. For the pork, I combined two of my go to recipes, Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken and Hawaiian BBQ Pork, which resulted in a sweet and spicy pulled pork. Sure, I could have then thrown the pork into a tortilla or on a slider bun, but decided to take it up a notch and make nachos!!
These Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachos were a huge hit and the Pineapple Mango Guacamole finishes everything off nicely. The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily make a sheet pan full of nachos to share with a group of friends on game day or, make them for dinner any night of the week!
I guess after all this talk about football, I might have to finally admit I am secretly a crazy football fanatic after all! 😉
What are your favorite football memories and game day snacks? Please share in the comments below!
- Hawaiian Pulled Pork:
- 1 3-4 pound pork butt
- 2 tablespoons dry pork rub
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ½ cup Pace® Picante sauce hot
- 1 15-oz can crushed pineapple
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- Pineapple Mango Guacamole:
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 1 ripe mango peeled and diced
- 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
- 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced
- ¼ cup Pace® Chunky Salsa mild
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1-2 limes juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper or to taste
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- Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachos:
- 1 18-ounce bag tortilla chips
- 1 ½ cups prepared Hawaiian Pulled Pork
- 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
- ½ small red onion diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grated Monterrey jack cheese
- 3-4 tablespoons cilantro
- ½ cup prepared Pineapple Mango Guacamole
- ½ cup sour cream
- Pace® Chunky Salsa if desired
- To Make Hawaiian Pulled Pork: Trim pork butt of excess fat. Place pork in a large 8-10 quart slow cooker and rub with pork seasoning. In a small bowl, stir together barbecue sauce, Pace® Picante sauce and crushed pineapple. Pour pineapple mixture over pork in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 9-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Pork is done, when it is cooked through and falling apart on its own.
- To Make Pineapple Mango Guacamole: Cut the avocados in half. Twist the halves in opposite directions and pull apart. Remove the pits and scoop out the avocado flesh into a medium bowl. Mash the avocado with a large fork or potato masher.
- Stir in diced mango, pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno, onion, Pace® Chunky Salsa, lime juice, salt and black pepper. Serve immediately with the nachos or, if not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate.
- To Make Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachos: Preheat broiler to high heat.
- Arrange the tortilla chips on a baking sheet or an oven-proof plate or skillet. Top tortilla chips evenly with the pulled pork, pineapple, onion, jalapeno pepper, bell pepper and both cheeses. Place nachos under broiler for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.
- Serve nachos topped with fresh cilantro, prepared Pineapple Mango Guacamole, sour cream and Pace® Chunky Salsa, if desired.
Stock up on all your tailgating needs, including Pace® Chunky Salsa and Pace® Picante sauce, at your local Walmart. For more recipe ideas, like my Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachos with Pineapple Mango Guacamole, click here.
CakePants says
Oh wow, these nachos look phenomenal – it’s totally acceptable to have nachos like these for dinner, right?! That sounds like a lot of fun to be part of a community where high school football is such a big thing! I didn’t grow up in a place like that, but maybe someday I’ll live in one.
David @ Spiced says
I have to agree with you…the traditions that surround football games are half the fun! Tailgating (or homegating) is the best, and I must say that nachos are the perfect tailgate food! These nachos sound perfect for game day…and I might need to get a batch going for this Saturday. Thanks for sharing! #client