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carolina pinto bean nachos

Inspired by a street food served at a minor league ballpark I worked at, while not an exact dupe, these saucy chips are what you need for Sunday's big game.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Appetizer, Snack
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp molasses
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 bag corn tortilla chips
  • 2 cups slaw greens
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp buttermilk, or milk of choice
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/3 cup cilantro
  • 2 tbsp chives
  • 1 jalapeno, deveined and seeds removed
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • sliced green onions and extra jalapenos, to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium. Saute the onion until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for one minute. Swirl in the pan the tomato paste, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and chili powder until reasonably combined. Drop in the pinto beans. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened.
  • Add a layer of tortilla chips onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle half the pinto beans, then half the cheese. Pile a second layer of chips, then beans, and finally the remaining cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts and bubbles.
  • Meanwhile, make the slaw. In a food processor, combine the avocado, yogurt, milk, lime juice, cilantro, chives, jalapeno, garlic, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whip until smooth. If desired, add milk 1 additional tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency. I like mine pretty thick, so 4 tablespoons total did the trick for me.
  • Scoop 2-4 tablespoons of the ranch into the slaw mix. Toss to combine, until the greens are creamy. Reserve the remaining ranch to serve alongside the nachos.
  • Top the nachos with the slaw, as well as additional jalapeno slices and green onions, as desired.

Notes

*Leftovers: Nachos do not keep well, so treat yoself and eat them all.
Keyword appetizer, bbq, gameday, nachos, pinto beans, slaw, street food, super bowl, vegetarian