Hawaiian Pulled Pork Skillet Nachos with Pineapple Guacamole

Holy Guacamole!!!  This stuff is good!!!  Now mine isn't as pretty as it should be (I thought I had a red onion but didn't so I had to use a sweet onion.....no problem, though, the taste was still out of this world).  I could have also sprinkled on some chopped cilantro for more color, but I simply didn't have the patience.

And if the incredible taste isn't enough reason to try it, then how about everything can be made ahead of time and then assembled when you're ready to eat.  I cooked the pork the day before, you can make the chips the day or two before, same wtih the guac (just sprinkle it with lime juice to keep the color).

This recipe calls for stacking the nachos in one skillet, but I wanted to try one skillet using baked tortillas I made myself and one skillet using tortilla chips from the grocery store to see the difference.  The difference was very slight, but I did lean a bit more towards the homemade chips....they had a bit more heft.

You're going to have plenty of shredded pork left over and it freezes well so you've got more on hand for a salad, tacos, or more nachos!

HAWAIIAN PULLED PORK SKILLET NACHOS with PINEAPPLE GUACAMOLE (serves 3)

For the Hawaiian Pulled Pork:
3-4 lb pork butt, large pieces of fat removed then cut into big chunks
garlic salt
15 oz can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup BBQ sauce, divided, plus more for dipping
1 large red or sweet onion, sliced

For the baked tortilla chips: (or substitute about 24 tortilla chips from a bag)
6 corn tortillas
EVOO or nonstick spray
salt

For the pineapple guacamole:
2 avocados
1 tsp minced garlic
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, drained (15 oz can.....use the rest for the nachos)

For the nachos:
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
remainder of pineapple tidbits used for the guacamole
1/2 small red onion, chopped
cilantro, minced for garnish (optional)

Place pork into the bottom of a large crock pot (I used a 6 quart) then season generously with garlic salt on all sides.  Add can of crushed pineapple including the juices, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, and sliced onion.  Mix slightly then cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or until meat shreds easily.  Shred then mix 2 cups pork with remaining 1/2 cup BBQ.  Discard cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400F then stack tortillas and cut them into quarters with a sharp knife.  Place wedges onto two baking sheets leaving at least 1/4" between each wedge.  Spray tops with nonstick spray or mist with EVOO then season with salt.  Bake, rotating pans halfway through, for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.  Chips will crisp as they cool (can be made ahead of time, cool completely then store in an airtight container).

Layer half the chips into the bottom of a 12" oven-proof skillet then top wtih half the pork, cheese, pineapple, and chopped red onion.  Repeat layers one more time then bake for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Alternatively you could use a baking sheet instead of a skillet.

While nachos are baking, combine avocados, garlic, lime juice, and salt in a bowl.  Smash with a potato smasher or fork until desired consistency is reached.  Fold in cilantro and pineapple tidbits. 

Serve pineapple guacamole with nachos, along with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.

Recipe Source:  www.iowagirleats.com