Loaded Veggie Nachos

In college, one of my all time favorite things to eat were nachos. Tons and tons of nachos. They also had unlimited sheet cake which I helped myself to every single day, but that’s a different story. But but but what is college for if not for making poor eating choices? If you answered, “Actually, college is for achieving higher education and setting yourself up for long term success, duh.” Bravo my friend, bravo. Me? I’m over here with my bagged wine and nachos.

Just kidding. Kinda. I got my act (kinda) together by sophomore year. But the description above is very much representative of my freshman year. Eek.

Ok, maybe I’m being dramatic, it’s not like allllll I ate was nachos. But, there was this one place that had the best nachos because they stacked them high and loaded them with ALL the goods. We’d go out with friends, order some “to share” (never a good idea), and before the night was through I’d be stewing over how my nachos itch just wasn’t quite scratched.

Lately the kids have been SUPER into the nachos and taco scene and I always try to make a family meal that works for all. While the kids may have tortillas and chips, I’ll grab almond flour or low carb wraps or throw it on top of a salad for J and myself.

In tune with making a family meal that works for everyone, I thought it would be fun to make some loaded VEGGIE nachos! These nachos are also a great way to get your kids on board with eating some extra veggies. You bring in the nacho flavors everyone loves and swap out the crunch with something healthier.

To really put these loaded veggie nachos over the top and make them EVEN better, I’m using my new favorite GreenLife pans. If you remember from this paella, I am crushing hard on these pretty turquoise GreenLife pans.

They’re perfect for this recipe because first, you can cook the meat without any oil. You just throw the beef into the pan and the pans do their magic. They’re also pretty awesome because they’re oven safe up to 350F, so when you pop the veggie nachos into the oven to heat it through and get that cheese all nice and melty, your GreenLife pans are solid.

I know a bunch of you are living that non-toxic life or try to incorporate chemical free products where you can. I have to tell you, these pans are perfect!! Not only are they dishwasher safe (seriously a lifesaver), but they’re lead and cadmium free and have an aluminum reinforced body with a ceramic non-stick coating.

And did I mention they’re pretty?

So let’s get down to it because it’s almost Cinco de Mayo and you need these loaded veggie nachos in your life!!

Cut your bell peppers into 3 inch strips and remove the center seeds. Also cut the eggplant into 1/2 “ – 1” rounds.

Lay the veggies out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the peppers in the oil and flip the eggplant, making sure they are drizzled. Roast the veggies for 20 minutes. Then, flip the eggplant rounds, toss the peppers a bit, and roast for another 20 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, prepare your meat.

Place your ground beef into a pan over medium heat. Use your spatula to chop it up and separate the meat into ground pieces. Continue to do this until the meat is no longer pink. Add the seasonings and continue to cook for another minute then remove from heat.

In a deeper, oven proof pan, place a layer of the veggies topped with the beef, black beans, corn, salsa, and cheese. Add another layer of veggies followed by beef, black beans, corn, salsa, and cheese. Continue this process until all the veggies and toppings are used up.

Place the entire pan in the oven and set the broiler to high. Keep the nachos in the oven for 2 -3 minutes until all the cheese is melted and the veggies are heated through.

Top with chopped cilantro, guac, sour, cream, whatever you like!

Enjoy!! Xo

Thank you so much to GreenLife for sponsoring this post! I love working with my favorite brands and couldn’t be more grateful they support The Toasted Pine Nut! xo