The other day I made Nachos w/ Black Beans, Wild Rice, & Fontina. I'm essentially making the exact same thing today. However, I've run out of Stovetop Black Beans w/ Shallots & Garlic, so I have to unfortunately go without! I was able to get chihuahua cheese, though. It's a mild cheese that originated in the Chihuahua region of Northern Mexico. It vaguely resembles a mild white cheddar or semi-soft mozzarella. Which may make up for not having beans any more! I also got blue tortilla chips, just for fun. And topped off the Wild Rice Nachos with Greek Yogurt & Dill Avocado Dip.
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Variations of Wild Rice Nachos
I am a huge fan of making fun nachos. Nachos tend to get a reputation for being a late night or party food. And these are legitimate times and places to eat nachos! But I would like to place "gourmet nachos" a little bit higher on the pantheon than most give them credit for. I will turn absolutely any and every leftovers into burritos, nachos, and Latin American-inspired omelettes. I adore drowning them in all sorts of rice, beans, melted cheese, lettuce, and hot sauce. This ranges from simple cheddar cheese with rice and beans to homemade enchilada sauce with tomatoes and peppers fresh from the garden to roasted calabaza squash, black beans, and brown rice. Really, the sky is the limit. So, mix and match in your own favorite produce and/or whatever you have on hand and have fun with it!
These Wild Rice Nachos consist of sweet potatoes, garlic, yellow onions, lime juice, olive oil, black beans with shallots, and avocado dip with spinach and peanuts.
Cook Wild Rice w/ Sweet Potatoes, Yellow Onions, & Limes. 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 also topped this burrito with Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt, Lemon, & Dill.This is entirely optional. You can easily substitute sour cream or omit it entirely. 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 toppings evenly across the tortilla chips.This acts largely like refried beans would in a typical nacho recipe. You can either spread across each of the chips or just drop little dollops across the chips.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the chips begin to toast.
Serve
Once the nachos are done cooking, remove from the oven and top with avocado dip, and a dash of salt and pepper.
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 a more in-depth article on nachos, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Nachos. I make suggestions on settling the microwave vs. oven debate and give suggestions on serving size, topping order, and potential reheating tips and tricks.
This Page Contains Edited Images
As a general rule, I don't like to edit images. Food styling, editing, alteration, and even faking entirely is just as rampant a problem in the recipe realm. Cooking is a very visual art and you can tell when a lot of foods are cooked based on the color. So, when this is altered and you can't use the coloration as a gauge, it makes it quite difficult to follow some recipes. I have an entire article about Food Styling and Unrealistic Expectations of Recipes. My place has very warm lighting, though. So, sometimes my camera overcompensates and ends up with an unnatural hues. I've adjusted the hues, levels, and/or cropped the following images:
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