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You know what’s totally throwing off my groove at the moment? All of this back-to-school buzz that’s been piercing my ear lately. I mean, didn’t summer just get here? Why do we have to start thinking about getting back into the school time routine already? I need it to be summer ALL of the time! I’m just going to sit over here and cling to every little heavenly piece of summer I can get my hands on and savor it…and I’m starting with a gigantic plate of these Spicy Smoked Sausage Nachos with fresh Pineapple Salsa on top!
Go ahead and put those sun shades on and pull up a lawn chair, you’re going to want to sit back and bask in all of this sweet and savory summertime deliciousness, guaranteed!
Nothing says summertime like cutting into and sinking your teeth into a fresh pineapple. Every time I take a bite of that golden, juicy and delicious fruit, my mind automatically takes me to a tropical island where I can almost feel the salty air blowing through my hair. It’s probably my favorite fruit in the history of all fruits when I really stop to think about it. I love incorporating it into all sorts of fun summery recipes, and I especially love pairing the sweetness of pineapple with a salty and savory dish, such as nachos. The flavor combo is out of this world, and I just can’t get enough of it!
One of my favorite things to use pineapple in is a fresh pineapple salsa. It’s really easy to put together, and it comes together pretty quickly. It’s perfect to serve alone with tortilla chips, but it’s REALLY outstanding when it’s on top of my spicy smoked sausage nachos! To make the salsa, first cut the pineapple in half and slice the meat of the fruit into square chunks.
Hollow out and remove the pineapple from each half the best that you can. Dice the pineapple into small chunks and place in a strainer to drain a good bit of the excess juices. Next, dice half of a purple onion, 1 jalapeno pepper, 3 small/medium tomatoes and chop up a handful of fresh cilantro. Mince three cloves of garlic, add the juice from 1/2 of a lime and combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow to chill together for about half an hour so the flavors will meld nicely.
Placing the salsa back into a hollowed half of the pineapple is totally optional, but it’s SO pretty to look at! If you’re hosting an outdoor BBQ or cookout this summer, this pineapple salsa would make for some serious eye candy on the table for your guests to help themselves to!
And speaking of outdoor cookouts, now is the time to break out those grills and seize every opportunity you get to throw your favorite foods on the grill to sizzle away! I made sure to head out to my local Winn Dixie to stock up on my favorite Eckrich Smoked Sausages so I can savor the flavors of summer just a little bit longer! Plus, the Jalapeno & Cheddar Smoked Sausage Links are the shining ingredient in my nacho dish that always leaves people coming back for more!
I always reach for Eckrich Smoked Sausages because they’re high quality, full of flavor and they make for some pretty delicious, convenient and affordable meals to help keep our bellies full and happy. My husband loves to fire up his grill and cook a package of smoked sausage links on a regular basis, and Eckrich always delivers that rich hardwood smoked taste that our entire family loves.
I opened up a package of Eckrich Jalapeno & Cheddar Smoked Sausage Links and let my husband throw them on the grill for a little bit. While he was doing that, I diced up the other half of that purple onion I used to make the salsa, followed by a diced jalapeno and half of a red and green bell pepper. I drizzled a little olive oil into a skillet and tossed the onion and peppers in to cook. I sauteed them until they were nice and tender. I added a smidge of cumin into the mix and gave it a stir. When my husband brought the smoked sausage inside, I sliced them up and threw them into the skillet and stirred it until all of the ingredients were well combined.
In a large oven safe skillet, I placed a layer of tortilla chips in the bottom, followed by the smoked sausage and pepper mixture. At this point, your whole entire house is going to be smelling AH-MAZING! 😉
I then sprinkled a little bit of cheddar and Montery Jack cheese on top and placed it in the oven heated to 350 F for about 10 minutes to get the cheese good and melted.
Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!
Spicy Smoked Sausage & Pineapple Salsa Nachos
Ingredients
- For Pineapple Salsa:
- 1 fresh pineapple halved
- 1/2 purple/red onion diced
- 3 small/medium sized tomatoes diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- 1 large handful of cilantro chopped
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- .
- .
- For Spicy Smoked Sausage Nachos:
- 1/2 purple/red onion diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 3-4 Eckrich Jalapeno & Cheddar Smoked Sausage Links - grilled
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Montery Jack cheese
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- To make the salsa:
- Slice pineapple in half and cut the insides into square sections and place them into a bowl, reserve hollowed half of pineapple to use as a bowl for the salsa if desired
- Dice the chunks of pineapple into smaller pieces and place in a strainer to remove excess water
- Dice onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro and mince garlic
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow to set in refrigerator for half an hour or more so flavors combine nicely
- For Spicy Smoked Sausage Nachos:
- Grill Eckrich Jalapeno and Cheddar Smoked Sausage until cooked to your liking
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Dice peppers and onions and place in a skillet with olive oil. Sautee over medium-high heat until ingredients are nice and tender - should only be a few minutes
- Add cumin and stir, allow to cook for another minute or so
- Slice the smoked sausage and toss into skillet to reheat with the peppers and onions
- Place tortilla chips into the bottom of an oven safe skillet and top with smoked sausage and pepper topping. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and place in oven for about 10 minutes, or long enough to let the cheese melt
- Serve immediately with fresh pineapple salsa on top
Tried this recipe?
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Once the nachos came out of the oven, my whole family dug right in and wasted no time scooping the pineapple salsa onto every tortilla chip they could get their hands on! The sweetness of the pineapple really pairs nicely with the melted cheese and the smoked sausage. These Spicy Smoked Sausage Nachos have been my favorite way to enjoy the flavors of summer, and I could absolutely eat that pineapple salsa with a spoon!
Do you have a favorite food you like to cook on the grill? Do you have another nacho recipe that’s out of this world delicious? Are you as crazy about pineapple as I am? Leave a comment below and share a little summertime sweetness with me!
Click here for more fun summer recipe ideas using Eckrich Smoked Sausage!
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