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Baked Nachos
Baked Nachos are a quick, kid-friendly meal that will please the whole family. Save yourself some time and cook and freeze the meat ahead of time to have on hand.
Ingredients
- Roughly 40–50 tortilla chips (a typical 8-ounce bag should be more than enough)
- 1 lb cooked, taco-seasoned ground beef (or use shredded Cilantro Lime Chicken, Southwest Chicken, Slow Cooker Carnitas, and/or black beans)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or more or less to your taste)
Topping ideas:
- 1/2 – 1 cup black beans, drained
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Diced avocado
- Sliced black olives
- Diced red onion
- Jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
- Salsa
- Sour cream or whole plain Greek yogurt
- Chopped cilantro
- Diced green onion
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Spread tortilla chips in a single layer on the bottom of pan. Cover with taco meat (and/or black beans or shredded chicken). Top with the cheese.
- Bake for about 5-6 minutes, until the meat is warm and the cheese is melted to your liking.
- Remove from oven and add your favorite toppings.
Freeze For Later: Cook the meat as directed from whatever recipe you choose: Taco meat, Carnitas, Cilantro Lime Chicken, etc.) Then let the mixture cool completely. Place it in a freezer bag, seal and freeze. In a separate bag, freeze about 2 cups of shredded cheese. Freeze together as a kit. Be sure to have a bag of tortilla chips on hand in the pantry, too.
Prepare From Frozen: Let all ingredients thaw in the refrigerator. Following Steps 2-4.
Notes/Tips
- Prevent soggy nachos: be sure to drain excess liquid from the meat or any wet toppings, like diced tomatoes. Also, this meal is best served immediately. The longer it sits out, the chips will absorb moisture.
- Reheating nachos can be tricky. For the best results, reheat them in the oven at 350°F until the chips crisp up and the cheese melts again. Avoid microwaving, as this will make the chips soggy. Alternatively, deconstruct leftovers and use the toppings in other dishes, like a burrito bowl or taco salad.
