Lately I’ve been craving Mexican food. I don’t understand it. I’m waaaayyy too old to be having pregnancy cravings and haven’t even been around anyone pregnant to have sympathy cravings (something my hubby had often back in the day).
We stopped in to a Mexican restaurant for lunch and even that didn’t stave them off. A friend shared his 3-bean chili and empanadas and that almost did it, but surprisingly seemed to spur on more cravings for Mexican food. Short of boarding a plane to Cancun I had to cook something that would squash these cravings now!
Nachos! That’s it. I’ll make nachos. It’s been years since I’ve made them. When I found this recipe I just had to try it. Who uses butternut squash in nachos? Well, apparently I am.
Our favorite tortilla chips at the moment are Don Poncho’s. They are manufactured locally and have a nice flavor.
- • 2 cups butternut squash, cut into ½-inch cubes
- • 1 tablespoon olive oil
- • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- • ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- • 1 10-ounce bag of corn tortilla chips
- • 1 cup canned refried beans (8 ounces)
- • ¼ cup Cilantro Avocado Greek Dressing
- • 4 cups grated cheddar cheese or your preference of grated mixed cheeses
- • 2 cups pico de gallo
- • 2 green onions, chopped
- • 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
- • Pickled jalapeños
- Preheat the oven to 450° F.
- Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Toss the butternut squash cubes with the olive oil then sprinkle with the chili powder, garlic salt and pepper and toss to coat. Scatter on the baking tray and roast for 5-10 minutes or until the squash is golden and caramelized.
- Transfer the butternut squash to a bowl and remove the foil from the baking sheet. Reduce the oven temperature to 400° F.
- Scatter the tortilla chips over the baking sheet so the chips barely overlap but cover the whole sheet.
- In a small bowl, mix the refried beans with the cilantro avocado yogurt dressing.
- Spread or dot the beans onto the individual chips then sprinkle with the cheese.
- Top with the roasted butternut squash and black olives and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top with the pico de gallo, chopped green onion, sliced avocado and pickled jalapeños.
- Drizzle with more dressing as desired and serve.
- See other recipes listed below for pico de gallo and cilantro avocado yogurt dressing.
A few swirls in the food processor and it’s done!
- ½ ripe avocado
- ¾ cup packed fresh cilantro
- ½ cup nonfat plain yogurt (I used Greek)
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, quartered
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1 lime)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Place avocado, cilantro, yogurt, scallions, garlic, lime juice, sugar and salt in a blender; blend until smooth.
- Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate leftover dressing for up to 3 days.
I made this a day ahead of serving it, and the tomatoes broke down nicely to create a little juice.
Save RecipeIngredients
- • 2 cups chopped plum tomatoes, about 3-6 tomatoes depending on size
- • 1-2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped depending on your heat preference (I used 1 and it was flavorful and not too hot)
- • ½ white onion, finely chopped
- • ½ cup chopped cilantro or more to taste
- • Juice of 1 lime
- • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Season with more kosher salt, lime or cilantro to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Nutrition