There are 3 things I totally enjoy about Super Bowl which just happened last Sunday.
1. The brand new advertisements
2. The drinks
3. The appetizers
Football does not come anywhere on my list 😆
One appetizer which always seems to make its way to the preferred list is Loaded nachos. It is a sure crowd pleaser. The combination of crunchy chips with the cheese and toppings make it appealing and appetizing. As always we got down to transforming this dish into a healthy offering 🤷🏻♀️
Our inspiration came from our earlier attempt at home baked chips – Oven roasted Tortilla chips
👉 replace fried chips with oven baked whole grain tortilla. My favorite these days is Angelic bakery – sprouted whole grain Garden wraps. They come in a variety of flavors and I am using a combination of 4 flavors today. The variety of colors is also a treat to the eyes. Feel free to replace with tortilla of your choice.
👉 next prepare queso cheese at home. Did not realize it was really easy. Basic queso can be made with just 2 ingredients – evaporated milk and a block of cheese, Thats it !
👉 a simple stir fry of black beans and fire roasted corn, use any beans you like. I tossed them both until cooked with salt and fajita seasoning. Taco seasoning also works well.
👉 air fryer fried tofu strips to bring in the protein. Any protein of choice can be used in the place of tofu.
👉 finally a drizzle of regular salsa, I used one straight from the jar
👉 optional toppings can include chopped avocados and olives
yum… yum … yum ….
So first prepare the queso by boiling evaporated milk and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese and stir continuously until cheese is completely melted. Turn off heat, add salt if necessary. Queso can easily be enhanced by throwing in a variety of toppings if serving as a dip standalone (something to keep in mind for the future !) For this recipe, I am keeping it very simple so that it mingles and shines along with other toppings.
Assemble the tortilla in a large cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and Mexican seasoning. Bake it for 10 minutes until just about turning crunchy but not too crisp yet.
Remove and add all the seasoning and return to oven for 5 to 8 more minutes until everything is sizzling.
I ended up making 2 trays mixing and matching 2 types of tortillas at a time and it is the perfect food to keep on munching while watching something on TV. We practically ate this as appetizer and dinner. It is very wholesome and there is no guilt since the chips are baked. In fact this dish is probably going to become our go-to food for movie nights.
Load up your plates and plonk yourself in from of the TV …. movie is on 🙂
Loaded Nachos recipe
Ingredient – makes 1 large tray
- Tortilla wraps – 16 cut into 8 wedges each
- Black beans (cooked) – 1 cup
- Fire roasted corn – 1 cup
- Evaporated milk – 1 cup
- Cheddar cheese (shredded) – 2 cups
- Salsa – 1 cup
- Tofu strips – 1 cup
- Jalapeno – sliced – 1 large
- Cilantro chopped – 1 tbsp
- Avocado slices
- Olives chopped
Procedure –
First make the queso sauce –
- Boil the evaporated milk and turn to simmer.
- Add the cheddar cheese and mix until smooth sauce is formed.
- Turn off heat.
Bean and Corn mix –
Toss together the black bean and roasted corn and cook. Add fajita seasoning. Salt to taste.
Tofu strips –
Air fry the tofu strips until crisp and set aside
To assemble the Nachos –
- Toss the cut tortilla wedges with oil and seasoning and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes until turning crisp.
- Remove from oven and carefully add the layers.
- First – drizzle the queso all around on top of the chips
- Second – spread the bean and corn mixture all over
- Third – sprinkle the tofu strips
- Fourth – drizzle the salsa all over the layers
Final toppings – jalapeño, cilantro and olives
- Return to oven for 5 minutes until sizzling.
- Remove and add fresh sliced avocado strips and serve.
