Do you like these recipes that resemble Mexican cuisine as much as I do? Fresh Mexican food is something I could eat all day, every day.
These completely loaded vegetable nachos are what I’m offering with you today to serve for Cinco de Mayo, your upcoming gathering, or to satisfy your weeknight nacho need (been there, often).
Instead of being drenched in nacho cheese sauce, which frequently gets cold in three minutes, my dream nachos are covered with golden, bubbling cheese. Cheddar, for maximum taste and golden edges, and Monterey Jack, for its more melty and creamy texture, are the two cheeses I like to combine.
Pinto beans are ideal for this because I layer in beans for more protein and fiber. As long as you layer them beneath the cheese, they are creamy and substantial enough to avoid drying out in the oven like black beans do. Although you could spread refried beans on each chip instead, I believe that creating nachos should be less time-consuming and more hurried. Right?
Also read: Crispy Falafel
After adding red bell pepper and jalapenos, I bake the nachos until they are golden. They are in the oven for roughly 10 minutes, which is sufficient time to quickly prepare the avocado sauce.
Serve with your preferred salsa and top with green onion, cilantro, and radishes. They’re ready: nachos.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces sturdy tortilla chips
- 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked pinto beans
- 1 packed cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 packed cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or additional cheddar
- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Pickled jalapeños, to taste
- Avocado dip, thinned with water until it reaches a drizzly consistency, or guacamole
- ⅓ cup chopped green onions
- 2 radishes, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Your favorite salsa (here’s my red salsa and salsa verde)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place handfuls of chips on the baking sheet and distribute evenly, minimizing the gaps between chips. Set aside.
- Sprinkle the prepared pan of chips generously and evenly with the beans, followed by the shredded cheese, bell pepper, crumbled feta and pickled jalapeños (use more if you really love jalapeños, less if you don’t). Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 9 to 13 minutes. Remove the nachos from the oven and set aside.
- While the nachos are baking, make the avocado sauce and prepare the garnishes.
- Once the nachos are out of the oven, drizzle avocado sauce on top as shown—any extra can be served on the side. (If using guacamole instead, dollop the guacamole over the nachos like polka dots.) Sprinkle the nachos with chopped green onion, radish and cilantro. Serve immediately, with salsa on the side.