It never fails but every time we go to a Mexican restaurant, I want to order nachos. The combination of the crunch from the chips, the beans, beef and oooey gooey cheese is so good. Well, I started making a much healthier version at home and it’s perfect to share with others. You’re going to want these sheet pan nachos on repeat at your next game night or if you need a quick weeknight meal.
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Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or venison
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
(2) 15 oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cheddar cheese , freshly grated
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
Toppings
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
3-4 Roma Tomatoes, diced
Jalapeño – sliced thin (optional)
sour cream
diced avocado or guacamole
fresh cilantro, chopped
tortilla chips
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Directions
1. Cook the meat.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brown the ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into crumbles. Drain excess grease (optional), then stir in the taco seasoning and minced garlic. Simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Assemble the sheet pan.
Spread 1/2 of the tortilla chips in a single on a large parchment lined baking sheet. Spread 1/2 of the seasoned beef and black beans over the chips, then generously cover with both cheeses. Repeat with another layer of chips, beef, beans and cheese.
3. Bake.
Bake for 7–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Keep an eye on the chips so the edges don’t burn.
4. Add fresh toppings and serve.
Sprinkle with diced tomatoes, black olives, and cilantro. Add dollops of sour cream, salsa, and avocado just before serving.
Tips
- If you buy fresh ground beef or process your own venison, cook the meat in bulk. Once cooled, portion them into 1 lb packages and freeze them. When you have those crazy days, the hardest part is already done when making these sheet pan beef nachos. Just pull the bag of cooked meat out of the freezer in the morning (and follow the directions abone) and while the nachos are in the oven, you can prepare the toppings. You can probably have supper on the table in 20-25 minutes.
- If you think you’ll have leftovers, don’t put the toppings on the tray once it comes out of the oven. Things like the tomatoes might be a little soggy and guacamole will be brown at that point. Just top each individual bowl.
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Simple Living Note
I aim to buy and consume organic food whether I’m growing it, supporting a local farmer or grabbing items from a local market. Eating things that have been sprayed with chemicals, herbicides or toxins should not be consumed. Our bodies were never designed to tolerate them which is one of the main causes of disease. In saying all of this, I still eat out and it’s really hard to find restaurants that offer organic food. That’s why I keep with an 80/20 rule for myself. I eat clean 80% of the time and then I allow that 20% for when I travel or go out to restaurants.
What Tortilla Chips to Use
Most chips at the store and at restaurants are sadly made with processed ingredients and cooked in seed oils. My favorite chips are Masa Chips and they come in several flavors that would make great nachos. They are cooked in grass-fed beef tallow. I have opted to remove seed oils from my diet. When I go to restaurants, I tell the waiter to cook my steak in butter not margarine or another oil. You can also just say you have a food allergy to oils except butter, beef tallow and olive oil. Most are accommodating.
Cate Shanahan, MD states “Sugar is addicting and fattening, but these oils are worse. The New York Times bestselling author of Deep Nutrition explains how a group of eight industrially produced oils cause the cellular damage that underlies virtually all chronic diseases, exposes the corruption that deceives doctors and consumers into eating them, and gives us a clear roadmap to recovery and rejuvenation”. I even hosted a “Hateful 8 Challenge” a few years ago on Facebook where we checked in weekly and gave each other encouragement. Here are the eight industrial oils in which Dr. Cate shares with us – canola (from rapeseed), corn, soybean, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, grapeseed, and rice bran. Read all about them in her book – Dark Calories.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There’s just something about taking a tortilla chip and scooping it into this flavorful beef and bean mixture. Need I not mention the melted cheese with all the toppings is just so yummy. I mean, who doesn’t love the crunch of the chips!
These sheet pan beef nachos are so convenient to make. They are great for a large crowd, game night or even for just a few people. I make them regularly for just my husband and I. We will pile ours in individual bowls and just cozy up on the couch while watching a show.
Storage
Refrigerator: If you think you’ll want leftovers for lunch or supper during the week, don’t add the toppings to the entire tray. You can add them to each individual portion. Guacamole turns brown so you’ll want to make that fresh plus some of the other toppings may make the nachos soggy. Store leftovers in a glass container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Freezer:The actual whole tray of nachos does not freeze well. You can freeze some of the components, making it quicker to prepare them in the future. I like to bulk buy our meat or we use ground venison that we have processed. Prior to freezing fresh meat, cook the meat and allow to cool. Store in a glass container in the freezer for 2-3 months. Cooking the meat is the longest part of assembling these nachos so you’ll be one step ahead.
Other Sheet Pan Suppers You’ll Like
Items Used in This Recipe
Sheet Pan Beef Nachos
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into crumbles. Drain excess grease (optional), then stir in the taco seasoning and minced garlic. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Spread 1/2 of the tortilla chips in a single, slightly overlapping layer on a large rimmed parchment lined baking sheet.Spread 1/2 of the seasoned beef and black beans over the chips, then generously cover with both cheeses. Repeat with another layer of chips, beef, beans and cheese.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Keep an eye on the chips so the edges don't burn.
- Sprinkle with diced tomatoes, black olives, and cilantro. Add dollops of sour cream, salsa, and avocado just before serving.
Notes
- If you buy fresh ground beef or process your own venison, cook the meat in bulk. Once cooled, portion them into 1 Ib packages and freeze them. When you have those crazy days, the hardest part is already done when making these sheet pan beef nachos. Just pull the bag of cooked meat out of the freezer in the morning and while the nachos are in the oven, you can prepare the toppings. You can probably have supper on the table in 20-25 minutes.
- If you think you’ll have leftovers, don’t put the toppings on the tray once it comes out of the oven. Things like the tomatoes might be a little soggy and guacamole will be brown at that point. Just top each individual bowl.
I hope you enjoy making this recipe for you and your family all year long. Please share this post over on Pinterest and tag me on Instagram.
Wendy Lea Walker, NTP
Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
I’m Wendy. A wife, empty-nester mama, homemaker, homebaker, gardener and small-time farmer. I love sharing wisdom and knowledge I’ve learned along the way. Anyone can garden or homestead, no matter where you live. It’s a mindset. You just have to start somewhere. I believe food is medicine. Feed the body real whole foods and healing will begin. I’m an advocate for eating real food and enjoy sharing all my fresh-milled flour recipes. I’ve learned to slow down over the years from all the noise that came with life and enjoy creating a simple cottage home.
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