Catfish Out of Water

Halloween is looming in the air. The weather is starting to take a turn. A chill is setting in the air. Leaves are beginning to fall. And I'm in full on gourd mode. I didn't go into this meal intending it to be festive themed. But, I have been making a lot of Brown Rice w/ Calabaza Squash & Anaheim Peppers. Calabaza is a very prominently colored squash that turns everything a delightful orange hue. With the addition of blue corn chips and Slow Cooker Black Beans w/ Calabaza & Habaneros? I was quickly setting the scene for purple additions. And then topped it all off with Potluck Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt & Walnuts. Which created quite the green scene. A dollop of coordinating hot sauce? And this is an absolutely devilishly delicious calabaza nachos.

I'm quite fond of making nachos. They're quick and easy. Corn chips are also surprisingly healthier than most people realize. If you don't add too much processed cheese or artificial toppings? They make a great snack or late night dish. I make nachos all of the time on a lazy day and I have absolutely no apologies for them. They're festive, fun, and absolutely delicious. Plus, it takes no time at all to throw all of your leftovers into what's really an incredibly simple meal!

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Variations of Calabaza Nachos

I am a huge fan of roasted calabaza squash. You can just as easily substitute any number of squash or other produce of choice. Nachos are a great way to utilize leftovers that you already have in the refrigerator. I quite often make a big pot of black beans and brown rice at the beginning of the week and use them in all sorts of dishes throughout the rest of the week. And one of the simplest and most satisfying things is to toss it all together in one heaping plate of nachos!

Nachos w/ Calabaza Black Beans & Brown Rice

These calabaza nachos are a spooky addition to any Halloween season. With the savory orange of the squash rice and hue of the black beans and blue corn chips. Toss in some festive green avocado dip and a hefty dollop of coordinating hot sauce? And you have a festive holiday dish that is absolutely to die for.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Latin American, Mexican

Servings 2 servings

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Oven

Ingredients

  

Black Beans

• 1 ½ c. calabaza squash roasted & puréed
• 1 ½ lbs. black beans ~3 cups
• 3 habaneros minced
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 red onion minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. coriander
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 ½ c. water

Brown Rice

• 1/2 c. calabaza squash roasted & puréed
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 red onion diced
• 2 Anaheim peppers diced
• dash cumin
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• 1 c. brown rice
• 2 ½ c. water (or vegetable broth)

Calabaza Squash

• 1 calabaza squash roasted & puréed

Nachos

• ~1/3 c. black beans
• ~1/3 c. brown rice
• ~1/3 c. calabaza squash
• ~2 handfulls tortilla chips
• 1/2 c. cheddar cheese
• 1/3 c. avocado dip (optional, omit or substitute sour cream)
• dollop hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

 

Prepare Ingredients

• Slow Cooker Black Beans take 8 hours to cook. I recommend starting it the night before so that it cooks overnight or in the morning before going to work so that it's ready when you get home. It's also a good quick and easy recipe to start ahead of time and reheat later on.
• Cook Brown Rice w/ Calabaza Squash & Anaheim Peppers. This takes about an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove. You can also easily create a different flavor profile or utilize the produce that you have on hand. I almost always keep a batch of rice or quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose.
• I used Roasted Calabaza Squash in this recipe. This takes a couple of hours and requires a calabaza (or other squash or pumpkin of choice) as well as aluminum foil and a baking dish.
• I also topped this burrito with Potluck Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt & Walnuts. This is entirely optional. You can easily substitute sour cream, Greek yogurt, or omit entirely depending on personal preference. Although this avocado dip is my new favorite thing and I highly recommend giving it a try. It's kind of a mix between hummus and guacamole. And is absolutely delicious!

Cook Nachos

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Meanwhile, lay out tortilla chips across a baking sheet.

  Cover until you can't see the baking sheet any longer. They should be touching, but not overlapping too much. You really just want to be able to add toppings to every chip without it getting too much on the baking sheet!

  Exactly how much chips you use is largely a matter of personal preference as well. I've never sat there carefully measuring chips! Roughly two handfuls usually equates to about a serving. I tend to cook far more than I actually need, though. So, as always, adjust to personal preference!
• Spread the black beans, brown rice, and calabaza squash evenly across the tortilla chips.
• Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the chips begin to toast.
• Once the nachos are done cooking, remove from the oven and top with avocado dip and hot sauce.
• Serve immediately. Once the nachos begin to cool down, the tortilla chips will absorb too much moisture and soften. Once this happens, there isn't a lot that you can do to crisp them up again!

Tips, Tricks, & Notes

• For more information on puréeing the squash, I also have an entire article on The Fundamentals of Roasted Calabaza Squash.
• I also have an entire article on The Fundamentals of Making Nachos with suggestions on settling the microwave vs. oven debate and give tips on serving size, topping order, and potential ways of reheating.