The first time I ever had nachos was a little spot in Aspen called the Red Onion. I know, not the first place you’d expect someone to order nachos. But I did, or rather, I think my mom did and I just tried them.
My life was changed.
How did I not know about this amazing, crunchy, savory combination? Oh that’s right, I was in high school and had previously been one of the pickiest eaters of all time.
As an adult, I rarely eat a nacho. Mostly because I don’t eat a ton of dairy, and secondly because it’s not typically a healthy option at restaurants.
I’ve always loved turning classic favorites into dishes and a few nights ago, I had a major craving for, you guessed it—nachos. I’m blaming pregnancy, but honestly they’re so good, I’ll probably be getting a craving for these long after baby is born!
Another thing I love about these is that this recipe is really a no-recipe recipe. Meaning, it’s not exact, you can tweak it to your own personal tastes and it’ll turn out amazing every time. Unless you burn them, then they ain’t so good.
I whipped these up for a very easy dinner one night. It’d been one of those long weeks where actually making something just seemed too overwhelming. All we really wanted was something we could enjoy while watching the latest episode of The Outsider (did you guys watch it? it was creepy, but so good!).
Related: Pork & Pineapple Tacos
Next time we host people, I’m 100% making these. They’re a crowd pleaser, so simple and filling enough to be a full meal. Especially if you serve up a bowl of this tortilla-less soup or a simple salad.
Since this is a simple dish, opt for the best ingredients you can find. I used grassfed ground beef from ButcherBox. Quick plug for ButcherBox—guys, it’s amazing. After taking a nutritional guide course, I learned just how important it that cows eat grass—it’s their natural diet—and I became a bit of a meat snob.
I love that I can order all of the meat we need from the month (chicken, beef, pork and salmon), and know that it’s all been sustainably raised and caught. It also saves me a lot of money because Whole Foods is the only other place I really trust for good meat and fish, and saves me so many trips to the grocery! And, personally think it tastes better too! You can get $30 off your first box too, just click here!
Grain-Free Sheet Pan Nachos Recipe
Ingredients
For the meat:
- 1/2 lb. grassfed ground beef (from ButcherBox)
- 1 tsp adobo seasoning
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- dash of cayenne pepper, optional
For the nachos:
- Siete grain-free chips (more grain-free options below)
- 1/2 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
- grated cheese of choice, I went with Cheddar & Monterey Jack blend
- 1-2 green onions, sliced
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 avocado, cubed
- sliced jalapeño, optional
- salsa to serve
Directions
In a sauté pan, brown the beef over medium heat. When cooked through, add adobo seasoning, tomato paste and 1-2 Tbsp water. Stir to combine. Bring heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (not necessary, but makes clean up easier). Spread chips in an even layer. You don’t want there to be too much space between them. Sprinkle a little bit of cheese.
Top with ground beef, black beans and another thin layer of cheese.
Broil for 5-8 minutes in the middle of the oven. Too close and you may risk burning your chips before everything is heated through. Just keep an eye on it as all ovens are a little different.
Remove from oven when cheese is melted and hot. Top with green onions, cilantro, and avocado. Serve with salsa.
Modifications
Swap chips for sweet potato chips, or bell peppers cut into chip-sized pieces. Sweet potatoes will provide a little sweetness and bell peppers are a great option if you want to get in more veggies. It’s a different flavor profile, but SO delicious!
If you don’t eat beef, swap the beef for shredded chicken. I have a really easy recipe here and we’ve made these nachos with this chicken and they are equally as delicious!
To make it vegetarian, remove the meat and sauté finely diced cauliflower with the same seasoning as the beef and top nachos with that instead.
You can find Siete tortilla chips at Whole Foods, or buy them online here. We absolutely love their cassava flour tortillas too. They remind me of a healthier flour tortilla and hold together exceptionally well!
BTW, ancient grains bowl with salmon, and Mediterranean chickpea salad.
