We've Never 'Bean' So Excited: How To Make Beans For Nachos

Nachos are a Tex-Mex food consisting of fried tortilla (pronounced taw-tee-uh) chips covered with melted cheese or cheese sauce, as well as a variety of other toppings, often including meats, vegetables (such as chili peppers, lettuce, tomatoes and olives) and condiments such as salsa, guacamole (pronounced gua-kuh-moh-lee) or sour cream. At its most basic, nachos consist of mere chips covered with cheese, and are served as an appetizer, while other versions are substantial enough as a main course.

A bean is the seed of one of several genera of the flowering plant family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying and baking and are used in many traditional dishes throughout the world.  

The dish was created by and named for Ignacio Anaya who created them in 1941 for customers at the Victory Club restaurant in Piedras Negras, Coahuila. In Spanish, ‘Nacho’ is a common nickname for Ignacio.

Here’s the recipe for Beans For Nachos.

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Servings: 4 

Ingredients:

For bean mixture:

•    1 tbsp olive oil 

•    1 small onion

•    300 gms tomatoes 

•    3-4 green chillies

•    430 gms black beans (soaked overnight)

•    ½ tsp chipotle powder

•    ½ tsp ground cumin

•    ¼ tsp garlic powder

•    ¼ tsp salt

•    250 gms nachos 

•    130 gms cheddar cheese (shredded)

•    2 tomatoes 

•    1 jalapeño

•    ⅓ cup pickled red onions

•    A handful of fresh cilantro/coriander leaves

•    ¼ cup sour cream

Method:

•    In a large pan, add olive oil and onion. 

•    Saute over medium heat until the onion is soft and transparent.

•    Drain but do not rinse the soaked black beans.

•    Add the beans, diced tomatoes, and chillies to the pan.

•    Add chipotle powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. 

•    Stir and simmer the mixture until it thickens and liquid no longer pools on the bottom of the pan. Set aside for use later.

•    Begin preheating the oven to 350°F.

•    Shred the cheddar cheese on the mixture.

•    Add finely diced tomatoes and thinly sliced jalapeño.

•    Add chopped cilantro.

•    Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.

•    Spread a layer of nachos over the baking sheet in a single layer.

•    Spoon about half of the black bean mixture over the chips.

•    Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over top.

•    Repeat with one more layer of chips, black beans and cheese.

•    Bake the chips, beans, and cheese for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the chips are beginning to turn golden brown on the edges.

•    Remove the nachos from the oven, add a drizzle or dollops of sour cream on the top.

•    Sprinkle diced tomato, sliced jalapeño, pickled red onions and chopped cilantro to finish.