Weeknight Skillet Nachos

Welcome back to QCK!

It’s Monday, and school is starting so it’s like a real Monday… and I’m not ready at all. Like seriously guys I thought I had more time and I don’t, it’s here and there’s no going back. But I’m telling myself it’ll be okay I just need to get into a rhythm and organize my time and I’ll be okay. But anyways, with this week being kind of crazy, I wanted to share one of my go-to weeknight meals, skillet nachos. I feel like nachos generally have a reputation for being like super over the top and unhealthy, but they don’t necessarily have to be. Obviously they’re covered in cheese and that’s not amazing, but they’re also loaded with vegetables and protein and are kind of a fun way of cramming a lot of food groups into one easy meal.

Nachos make a great weeknight meal because the clean up is really minimal (depending on how hard you go) AND because you can either plan ahead and get groceries for them, or just use whatever you have hanging out in the fridge. I like to use this as an opportunity to clear out my fridge, so it usually ends up being a combination of my staple vegetables. Red bell pepper, tomato, sweet corn, zucchini and red onion, even though it’s just what I have hanging out, it always works really well for nachos. I like to use vegetables that can cook quickly and aren’t going to be too wet and mushy when they come out. Plus I always have a few cans of black and pinto beans in the pantry. If I happen to have chicken or shrimp thawed out I’ll usually just dice it up and sauté it with some cumin, cayenne, paprika, garlic and onion powder and a big squeeze of lime. Then I throw it all in the oven with some cheese and top it with fresh cilantro and avocado, sour cream if I have it, and usually pickled jalapeño.

This recipe is really just a guideline. You can use whatever vegetables, proteins and toppings you like. It doesn’t have to be perfectly measured or cut. Nachos just are what you make them.

Substitutions and Add Ons

• Red Onion can be omitted or substituted for yellow onion.
• Pinto Beans can be substituted for black beans.
• Sweet Corn can be fresh or frozen. If you use frozen I suggest thawing it according to the directions on the package and straining any excess water or liquid off.
• Red Bell Pepper can be swapped for any color bell pepper.
• You can also add chicken, shrimp, ground beef, steak, guacamole, jalapeño, sour cream, salsa, tomato, the options are pretty much endless.

Recipe

Prep: 15 Min

Cook: 15 Min

Category: 30 Min Meals

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 Ears of Sweet Corn, off the cob
• 1/2 Small Red Onion, diced
• 1 Can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1 Small Zucchini, diced
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 8 Oz Tortilla Chips, or about half of an average bag
• 1 C Shredded Cheese, I use cheddar
• 1 Avocado, for serving
• Chopped Cilantro, for serving
• Pickled Jalapeño, for serving
• Sour Cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a cast iron skillet.
2. In a medium bowl, combine sweet corn, red onion, pinto beans, bell pepper, zucchini, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne and olive oil.
3. Mix until all the vegetables are evenly coated in oil and spices.
4. Arrange half of the chips in an even layer in the bottom of the cast iron.
5. Spread an even layer of half of the seasoned vegetables over the chips.
6. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 on top of the first layer of chips.
8. Place the nachos into the oven and bake until all the cheese is melted and the vegetables are cooked all the way through, about 15 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and add your favorite toppings, I like avocado, cilantro, pickled jalapeño, and sour cream.

As always, I hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you tried it out let me know in the comments. For more recipes check out my homepage and follow along on Instagram. Don’t forget to like, follow, comment and share. Thanks for reading! 

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