BAKED NACHOS

Insert corny nacho dad joke here. This nacho dish was inspired by a childhood favorite – chips and cheese with meat and gravy. If you’re not from my hometown, this combination might sound a bit odd. Trust me, it was delicious and staple in my diet for many years. Now that I’ve gone plant-based, I wanted to re-imagine this dish the PlantBasedSlay way. The result? A new nacho recipe that will impress meat and plant eaters alike.

I don’t know one person that doesn’t like nachos. But, if you need some persuasion, check these out: 

• Completely vegan. Most of the dishes on this blog lean more towards the vegan side, but typically I would go vegetarian for nachos. Thanks to my epic queso, this dish is entirely dairy-free, making it 100% vegan. Don’t worry; it is just as delicious as its cheesy alternative. You won’t get any complaints from your carnivorous friends and family. 

• Quick and easy. If you already have the queso made ahead of time, which I typically do, this recipe takes less than 40 minutes. I’ve even made this dish in 30 minutes. Just a little bit of sautéing, some haphazard layering, pop it in the oven and you’re done. Quick and easy - the best way to make a quick and easy entrée for 6.  

• Minimal cleanup. When I tell you this is my new favorite recipe, it’s not just because of how good it is. No, it’s because it’s easy to make and clean up. When I am making a dish, I use every pot and pan in the kitchen. This recipe only requires a sauté pan, a casserole dish and a large utensil of choice. I went with a wooden spoon. If you want to make this a one-pot meal, you can make the filling in a cast-iron skillet, layer on the chips and queso and bake it right in the skillet. 

Ready to make baked nachos? Let’s get into the recipe.   

Make the bean mixture. Grab a large sauté pan. Heat 2 teaspoons of grapeseed oil over medium heat. Dice 3 cloves of garlic, half a small red onion and half of a jalapeno. Add them to the pan with sea salt and ground black pepper. After about 3 minutes of sautéing, you will smell the garlic. That’s how you know it’s time to add the pack of crumbled tempeh, pack of Sazon spice mix, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of oregano, 2 teaspoons of onion powder and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder. Stir everything together and continue sautéing for another 3 minutes. 

Now, let’s make some gravy. Stir in 2 cans worth of mashed black beans, 2 teaspoons of vegetable broth powder, a half cup of water, a teaspoon of salt and the juice of a lime. Mix everything together, lower heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Carefully remove from heat. That was the hardest part. 

Now, let’s move to layering. Before you start, preheat the oven to 385° F. Layer chips, bean mixture and queso in a casserole dish. Then, repeat the layers. Use as little or as many chips and queso as you like. If you want to get fancy, add in chopped cilantro and sautéed red onions between the layers. Bake nachos for 20 – 25 minutes. The top layer might begin to turn a dark yellow color; that’s normal.

Cool and serve. Carefully remove from oven. Let cool the nacho cool down enough to handle. Slice the baked nachos and use a spatula to serve. Add red onion and cilantro as desired. If you’re like me and love a little citrus, add a squirt of lime juice to the top of your baked nachos. 

Does this recipe have your mouth watering? Give it a try! Don't forget to use #plantbasedslay if you are posting to your socials. We love to see your work!

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Baked Nachos

Yield: 6

Author: Plant-Based & Slayed

Cook time: 36 MinTotal time: 36 Min

This nacho dish was inspired by a childhood favorite – chips and cheese with meat and gravy. If you’re not from my hometown, this combination might sound a bit odd. Now that I’ve gone plant-based, I wanted to re-imagine this dish the PlantBasedSlay way.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp grapeseed oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• ½ small red onion, diced
• ½ jalapeno, diced
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 pack of tempeh, 8 oz, crumbled
• 1 pack of Sazon corrander and annatto spice mix
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 cans black beans, mashed, 15.25 oz
• 2 tsp vegetable broth powder
• ½ C. water
• 1 tsp salt
• Juice of a lime
• Bag of tortilla chips, 10 oz.
• vegan white queso, as desired
• red onion, as desired
• cilantro, as desired

Instructions

1. Make the bean mixture. Heat grapeseed oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, red onion, jalapeno, sea salt and ground black pepper. Sauté until you smell garlic – about 3 minutes. Add crumbled tempeh, Sazon spice mix, smoked paprika, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to coat the tempeh and continue sautéing in pan for another 3 minutes. Stir in mashed black beans, vegetable broth powder, water, salt and lime juice. Once incorporated, lower heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Carefully remove from heat.
2. Layer and bake. Preheat oven to 385° F. In a casserole dish, layer chips, bean mixture and queso. Repeat the layers. Bake nachos for 20 – 25 minutes.
3. Cool and serve. Carefully remove from oven. Let cool slightly, then slice and serve. Add red onion and cilantro as desired.

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