When it comes to nachos, lets just say I take my nachos very seriously (you may remember my queso drenched vegetarian nachos, an ultimate lesson in layering and loading). They’re simply the easiest food to dress up, get creative with and full-out nosh on. So in the spirit of mixing it up, today I give you my latest nacho creation: warm and cozy fall nachos (because you know I love all things fall).
Spicy sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, cremini mushrooms and Great Northern beans come together on top of hearty, whole-grain chips for a simple, yet incredibly satisfying crunch in every bite. A perfect blend of savory, salty and a hint of sweetness make these sweet potato nachos a true crowd-pleaser—and needless to say—an elevated take on your run-of-the-mill chips and cheese. Plus you can prep the majority of the ingredients up to two days before, so when you go to actually build the nachos and bake them, it should only take about 20 minutes.
I have a few tricks up my sleeve, however, when it comes to these fall sweet potato nachos. See, the secret is in blending your sweet potatoes in a blender for a mashed potato consistency. I also douse the sweet potatoes with cayenne to give them a subtle heat, blending and seasoning with cayenne, salt and pepper as I go. Once blended, I use a spatula and spread the spicy mashed sweet potatoes onto every few chips (I like to use the really intense, thick 12-seed kind of chips to hold the weight of the toppings), along with a layer of Great Northern white beans, cremini mushrooms (always wiped clean with a dish rag, never rinsed with water), caramelized onions and a MIX of shredded Monterrey Jack and cheddar cheese. Lastly, while the cheese is melting, I flash fry sage (it takes about 30 seconds!) for a delightful addition with the fresh arugula to top it all off.
While I’m pretty set on this winning combo for fall, I do love that the beauty of nachos is the opportunity to switch it up and choose whatever toppings you desire. So try these fall sweet potato nachos as is but, then go ahead and have a little fun with your own renditions too. Enjoy! Truly, MKR
- For the nachos
- 2 cans great northern white beans
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, roughly cut into 1/4 inch strips
- 1 block white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- Hearty chips (look for thick, heavy and whole grain)
- cayenne, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh arugula, to garnish
- fresh sage, to fry and garnish
- 6 giant onions, chopped into 1/4 inch slices
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- salt, to taste
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large pot, boil sweet potatoes until tender.
- Blend sweet potatoes in a blender to create a mashed potato consistency.
- Place chips onto baking sheet, spreading with sweet potatoes, a layer of beans, caramelized onions* and mushrooms.
- Cook nachos without cheese for 10 minutes.
- Take nachos out, sprinkle shredded cheeses on top, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until melted.
- While the cheese is melting, fry the fresh sage in about an inch of oil in a small saute pan. Be sure to wait until the oil is hot before flash-frying the sage. It will take only about 30 seconds to fry.
- Top nachos with fried sage and fresh arugula, and serve!
- Remove skins of onions and slice them into 1/4 inch slices.
- Melt the butter in your skillet on medium heat.
- Add onions to your pan and stir them, making sure to coat them with butter.
- Stir onions and scrape the skillet every 5-10 minutes.
- After about an hour of cooking, your onions will be properly caramelized.
- Once cooked through, pour the water into the pan, scraping all of the bits. Season the onions with salt and pepper to taste.
- To cut down on prep time, you can make your sweet potato mash and caramelized onions the night before. When blending the sweet potatoes, add a tiny bit of water to the bender if it seems too dry. Season and taste as you go, adding more water if need be.
- I usually put half to 3/4 of my caramelized onions on my nachos, and save the rest. They keep well up to 2-3 days.
I made these yesterday for a wonderful fall lunch. They were beyond delicious. The Mr. put his nose up at “no meat” before trying them. He loved them too and the mushrooms have a meaty feel anyway. Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to make them again…