What kind of cheese isn’t yours?
Nacho Cheese! (Not yo cheese) I’ve always loved that joke, regardless of how cheesy it is… LOL!
When I was in nursing school, I used to go out for nachos A LOT. I’d take nursing classes during the day and then I worked as a nursing assistant, at an assisted living facility, in the evening.
School. Work. School. Work. School. Work.
That was my routine for years.
When I got done working, I’d often go out for late night happy hour with some girl friends and get nachos. Seriously, I did this a couple times each week. I was a broke college student and late night happy hour nachos were cheap.
What I didn’t know at the time was that a serving of nachos is about 6 chips and those 6 chips, on average, have 350 calories, 19 grams of fat, and 800mg of sodium. GULP! I can guarantee you that I ate more than 6 chips of nachos in a sitting. Way more.
While I’m no longer in the school and work routine and going out for late night happy hour nachos, I still enjoy nachos.
So, I’ve put together a healthier version of plant based nachos. These nachos are oil free and loaded with goodness.
You can substitute the Yukon gold potatoes for a baked sweet potato and this meal will be just as good.
This is a great meal to make when you have no idea what to make. And, it’s also a great meal to make when all’s you want to do is devour a whole plate of nachos for dinner, or lunch, or breakfast, and not feel bad about it.
I dare you not to eat all of this in one sitting…
Smashed Potato Nachos
Ingredients
- 4 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes or 2 baked sweet potatoes
- 1 Can Black Beans Undrained
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 Tsp Cumin
- 2 Tsp Garlic Powder Divided
- 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Juice of 1 Lime
- 2 Tomatoes Chopped
- 4 Green Onion Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Jalapenos (jarred or canned and drained)
- 6 Sweet Mini Peppers Chopped
- 4 Tbsp Cheese Sauce
Instructions
- Add potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. (Do not peel the potatoes). Over high heat, bring water to a boil. Once water is boiling, reduce heat slightly, and simmer the potatoes uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender.
- When there are 10 minutes left of boiling the potatoes, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- When the potatoes are fork tender, turn off the heat, drain the potatoes, and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Place potatoes on a parchment lined or foil lined baking sheet. With the base of a coffee mug or with a potato masher, "smash" (press down on) each potato until each one is almost flattened. Some of the potatoes might break apart and that is fine.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp of garlic powder over the potatoes.
- Roast the potatoes in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until they are crispy, golden and browned on the bottom. Watch while they cook as the cook time will vary, depending on the size of the potato.
- While potatoes are roasting, begin making your cheese sauce, if you haven't already made it, and set aside.
- This is also the time when you will start making the refried beans. Empty the can of black beans into a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the chili powder, cumin, remaining tsp of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and lime juice to the pot. Stir to combine. This might look soupy but don't worry. Mash the beans with a potato masher or a fork. Crank the heat up and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and stir frequently, scrapping the sides and lifting the beans from the bottom. After about 10 minutes, the liquid should have reduced. The beans will thicken as they cool. If they get too thick, just add 1 tbsp of water at a time to thin.
- When the potatoes are done, remove from oven and put 2 potatoes on each plate. Top potatoes with beans, tomatoes, green onions, jalapenos, mini sweet peppers, and cheese sauce. Enjoy!
