Cheesy Veggie Nachos

Every party’s staple.

Time to read: 5 mins | Time to make: about 30 minutes | Yields: 10 servings

Ingredients

FILLING

• ½ cup (58 g) raw walnuts*, chopped

• 1 medium sweet potato or 2-3 carrots, diced in small squares

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 15 oz can pinto beans**, drained and rinsed

• 1 teaspoon (3 g) of each garlic powder, onion, paprika, chili, and ground cumin***

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

ASSEMBLY

• 8 oz (250 g) Tortilla Chips

• 4.6 oz (130 g) Monterey Jack cheese****, shredded

• Fresh Salsa

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

• avocado

• sour cream or cashew cream

• chopped jalapenos

Method

1. Toast walnuts on a dry pan until they become fragrant - about 5 min.

2. Bring the big pot with water to a simmer over medium-high heat and season generously with salt. Once it comes to a boil, add the carrots or sweet potatoes, and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Pour the cooked vegetables into a colander, discarding liquid, and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Once hot, add the onion and red bell pepper and cook, occasionally stirring, for 7 to 8 minutes, until completely softened.

4. Add garlic and spices and cook for another minute until they become fragrant. Raise the heat to high, add the cooked carrots and/or sweet potatoes, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring a couple of times, until beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pinto beans and cook, occasionally stirring, until warmed, another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add walnuts.

5. Assemble the nachos:

6. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the tortilla chips in a sheet pan, cover the chips with the bean mixture, and cover with shredded cheese. Bake until cheese has completely melted, which should take between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on the oven.

7. Garnish with your favorite toppings: fresh salsa, pico de gallo, avocado, sour cream, etc. Serve hot!

8. Enjoy!

Notes

*WALNUTS: Toasted walnuts add delicious flavor notes and crunchy texture to the dish, but feel free to skip them if you don't have them handy. 

**BEANS: One can of beans is about 1 ½ cups of cooked pinto beans. If cooking beans from scratch, you'll need about 3/4 cup of dry beans.

***SPICES: Play with this part. Don't like too spicy, or don't like cumin? Remove and add to please your taste preferences. 

****CHEESE: Feel free to substitute Monterey Jack with your favorite other melting cheese.

Nutrition facts, per serving:

Energy: 282kcal | Carbs: 29 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 15 g