Busy Philipps’ Go-To Comfort Food Makes Magic out of Leftovers

It’s also super relatable.

Fans of actor Busy Philipps love her from TV shows such as “Freaks and Geeks,” “Cougar Town,” and most recently “Girls5eva,” plus her podcast “Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best.” On the weekly show, she talks to friends about how they’re doing their best in their own lives.

We recently had the chance to chat with Busy about how she’s doing her best as a mom to feed her family and how she teaches her kids, Birdie, 15, and Cricket, 10, the importance of giving back.

Busy Philipps’ Go-To Comfort Food

The food in Philipps’ fridge is typical of any household with teens and tweens—lots of healthy snacks, drinks, and anything easy to grab to keep their growing bodies fueled while on the go. When it comes to her family’s go-to comfort food, it’s not very different from what many of us crave, too.

When Philipps lived in California, there was an abundance of avocados, so making nachos for the family was a natural choice. “I really do love to make a nacho,” she says. (We can relate.)

Even after moving to the East Coast, Philipps still loves to make “really straightforward nachos,” piling on black beans, a Mexican cheese blend, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Sometimes she’ll use grilled chicken if she has it.

Of course, nachos are a build-them-the-way-you-like-them dish, and you can use whatever you have on hand to make your own. Pantry staples like canned corn, salsa, jalapeño slices, pinto beans, black olives, and pickled red onions make great nacho toppings. You can raid the fridge for leftovers of chicken (try fried chicken!), beef, or pork. Shred up whatever types of cheeses you have—Cheddar, Jack, Colby, or mozzarella melt especially well. Have a few spare mushrooms or half a bell pepper? Sauté them and add them to the mix. Leftover baby spinach? Shred it up and add it after baking.

Pile everything (except the cold toppings, of course) on top of a baking sheet full of tortilla chips, and bake in the oven at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) until the toppings are heated through and the cheese is melted. Check on them every 5 minutes until they’re done.

If you’re just making nachos for one, place the tortilla chips on a small plate, pile on your toppings, and microwave in 20-minute bursts until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted.

Because nachos are so customizable, they’re a brilliant way to use up leftovers, making sure food doesn’t go to waste. Philipps is mindful of those who don’t have enough food, let alone food to waste, and she’s about to embark on a campaign to help get food into the hands of those who need it.

Fighting Food Insecurity

Because combating food insecurity is something Philipps is passionate about, she was excited when the yogurt brand Two Good asked her to help with a campaign during Hunger Action Month, which falls annually in September. It’s a way to help others, and also a way to teach her kids about giving back. “When you work with different organizations and you make giving back a priority in your household, you don’t have to constantly be slamming it down their throats,” she says.

Philipps will be spreading the word about how anyone can easily help fight hunger and feed those in need by using the hashtag #GetHangryForGood on social media or purchasing Two Good yogurt cups or smoothies throughout September. For every #GetHangryForGood hashtag shared on social media, and for every Two Good yogurt cup or smoothie purchased in September, Two Good will donate $1—which can cover about 2 pounds of food for those who need it—to the nonprofits City Harvest and We Don’t Waste.