Easy Veggie-Loaded Nachos Made in Just One Tray
These veggie-loaded one tray nachos make an easy dinner packed full of veg that kids (and fussy adults) will actually eat, and it’s all ready in less than half an hour!
Do you have days where you get back home and have no time or energy to make dinner? I’m with you!
With a tight budget to work with, we don’t often get a chance to really splurge on something. But after having set aside a little extra money for it, we got to take the kids on our first proper book shop trip recently.
I’ve always loved reading. I am an English Literature graduate, but my fondness for books goes back to my childhood. I have great memories of curling up in a blanket while my father read Enid Blyton stories to me, I travelled across Middle Earth with Bilbo Baggins before the age of 9, and I wrote my first poem as soon as I could write basic words (I won’t embarrass myself by sharing the short verse about a dog called Bow Wow, but I’m sure you can imagine roughly how it went!) 🤦♀️.
After an afternoon of sifting through Blyton, Lindgren, Nesbit and Carroll, and wandering from Cherry Tree Lane to Wonderland, we came home with a small but precious haul of fun classics to get stuck into with the kids.
But the late outing meant I had precisely 25 minutes to get dinner on the table.
Fortunately, I had planned the perfect recipe for that day: veggie-loaded one tray nachos.
Seriously, we’re talking:
- 20-30 minutes tops (it can be done in 15 with pre-sliced frozen peppers and the grill/broiler step)
- one baking tray
- lots of veg no one really notices
…and the joyous shout from my 3 and a half year old, who adores this dinner, of “CRISPS FOR DINNER” (chips, to American readers).
These kid-friendly one tray nachos are not just simple and nutritious, they are also gluten free, have a vegetarian option, contain 5-6 portions of veg, and taste A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
So next time you have your very own Faraway Tree adventure, or just get home from the day’s activities later than planned, keep this recipe up your sleeve and wow everyone with an incredibly delicious healthy dinner in less than 30 minutes!
These veggie-loaded one tray nachos make an easy dinner packed full of veg that kids (and fussy adults) will actually eat, and it’s all ready in less than half an hour! Gluten free with a vegetarian option.
- 3 bell peppers, finely sliced (or 2-3 generous handfuls of sliced frozen bell peppers – makes the process even quicker but they have less bite)
- 2 small-medium carrots (or courgette/zucchini), grated (optional)
- 1 400 g (14 oz) tin cooked black beans (or 250g/1 and 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
- a few handfuls of cooked meat (chicken, pork, beef, lamb all work really well), or an extra tin of beans
- 4 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced (I occasionally also add in some finely sliced cooked onion into the main mix if I have some leftover)
- 175-200 g (1 cup) sweetcorn (tinned drained or frozen both work here)
- 1 300 g (10 oz) jar of low sugar salsa (least ingredients possible or homemade are best
- 1 bag of corn tortilla crisps (chips), ideally baked and avoid Doritos like the plague – check ingredients if gluten free is needed, but a good bag should only list corn/maize and salt (maybe some oil)
- a couple of generous handfuls of grated hard cheese like Cheddar
- 2 ripe avocados, to serve
- fresh spinach or a side salad, to serve
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Preheat oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. If using fresh peppers, slice finely and toss in olive oil, then roast on a large baking tray (sheet pan) for 10 minutes until softened (skip this step if using frozen sliced ones). Toss everything except the tortilla crisps and cheese together in the baking tray and spread out. Bake for 5-10 minutes until heated through, then top with the crisps and cheese and bake again for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crisps are just starting to go golden at the edges (you could do this under the grill (broiler) if you prefer, which is even quicker, so keep an eye on it!). Top with (or serve with) the ripe avocado and fresh spinach. Some extra spring onions over the top are nice, too, as are extra salsa or sour cream, to serve.
Love a one-pot recipe? So do I! Why not check out some of my others here.
