This is my healthy twist on nachos- one of Jay’s favorite meals and snack. I am trying to incorporate healthier meals and more vegetables into our life. I have replaced the ground beef with ground turkey, miniature peppers for chips and added some black beans.
Yes, it still has wonderful, gooey, sharp cheddar cheese and I may or may not add some sour cream. It’s baby steps around here right now. I have noticed my healthy twists go over a little better when I spice them up, so I piled jalapenos on, too.
Here is something I learned later in life that I wish I learned sooner: grate your own cheese. I ALWAYS grate my own cheese. Cheese that is already grated has a flour/wax like coating to prevent it from sticking together. It affects the taste greatly- I promise. Your cheese dishes will be elevated immediately just by grating your own cheese.
You can easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the ground turkey. If you choose this route, I would could cook the taco seasoning with the beans for a few minutes.
The cook time is important, only 10 minutes at 400 degrees. If you cook it longer, the peppers will get mushy and the crunch is the one of the best things about this dish.
And of course I would pair this with a couple of skinny margaritas (tequila, fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice and agave nectar). If you happen to be allergic to tequila like me (it’s a real thing, google it), then swap it out for rum.
Healthy-ish Nachos
Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 package taco seasoning, or make your own (cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder)
1 package miniature peppers
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 can black beans, drained
jalapeno slices, chopped
tomato, chopped
onion, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brown the ground turkey and add in taco seasoning and 3/4 cup of water. Let simmer for a few minutes. Slice the peppers in half and place on a sheet. Layer the peppers with the ground turkey, beans, cheese and the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes.
Make this recipe your own. Add salsa, guacamole, sour cream or cilantro.
