Loaded Nachos

These classic nachos are fully loaded. They come with all of the fixings -- beef, peppers, salsa -- and are made with three types of cheese!

loaded Nachos on parchment paper
Photo: Jason Donnelly
Prep Time:
30 mins
Bake Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 8 6-inch corn tortillas

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 2 teaspoon unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • ¾ cup fat-free milk

  • ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)

  • ½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

  • 1 ounce fat-free cream cheese, softened

  • ¼ teaspoon paprika

  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 8 ounce extra-lean ground beef (95% lean)

  • ¼ cup water

  • 1 recipe Homemade Taco Seasoning

  • 1 cup chopped tomato (1 large)

  • ½ cup chopped green or red sweet pepper (1 small)

  • ¼ cup sliced green onions (2)

  • 1 fresh jalapeño chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced* (optional)

  • ½ cup chunky mild salsa, such as Newman's Own All Natural brand

  • 2 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro

Homemade Taco Seasoning

  • 2 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper

  • teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut each tortilla into eight wedges. Place tortilla wedges in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Coat wedges with cooking spray. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until wedges are crisp and golden brown on edges. Set aside.

  2. Meanwhile, for cheese sauce, in a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until combined. Whisk in milk until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, paprika, and turmeric. Cook and stir over medium heat until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to low. Hold cheese sauce over low heat until needed, stirring occasionally.

  3. Meanwhile, coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add meat; cook until browned, using a wooden spoon to break up meat as it cooks. Drain off fat. Stir the water and Homemade Taco Seasoning into meat in skillet. Cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes more or until most of the water has evaporated.

  4. To serve, arrange tortilla wedges on a serving plate. Top with meat mixture, cheese sauce, tomato, sweet pepper, green onions, and, if desired, chile pepper. Serve with salsa and cilantro.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

  1. In a small bowl stir together all ingredients.

*

Because chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the peppers, wash your hands and nails well with soap and warm water.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

291 Calories
11g Fat
23g Carbs
24g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 291
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 356mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 23.6mg 118%
Calcium 353.4mg 27%
Iron 2.9mg 16%
Potassium 511mg 11%
Folate, total 28.2mcg
Vitamin B-12 1.7mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.4mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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