I’ve seen a lot of recipes floating around for nacho bakes recently, but none of them quite hit the mark for me. They were either very light and lean sounding or the complete opposite and loaded with saturated fat. Or course, a recipe that is topped with tortilla chips and cheese is never going to be the healthiest thing on earth but I try to keep my midweek meals as balanced as possible so that I can enjoy a little more food freedom at the weekend.

The concept for this recipe is very simple but it is one of those meals that is greater than the sum of it’s parts. The crispy topping is just delicious and the hearty veggie, bean and mince combo underneath makes this dish nourishing and filling.

A note about the recipe- this recipe is vegetarian but is easily made vegan by swapping out the cheese for your favourite vegan cheese. Just pick one that melts easily!

This recipe serves 4 people and is lovely the next day for lunch. Just keep the tortilla chips to one side whilst you microwave the rest otherwise they go a bit soft and chewy!

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

85g mushrooms, sliced

100g courgette, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1tsp mushroom ketchup

Ground pepper and salt flakes

1 small red chilli, chopped

160g soya mince

Juice of half a lemon

1x400g can of kidney beans in water, drained and rinsed

1x400g can chopped tomatoes

70g tortilla chips

45g smoked cheddar (or vegan alternative), grated

Method

Preheat you oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry off the onion, garlic, mushrooms, courgette and pepper on a fairly high heat so they get some colour. Add the mushroom ketchup, seasoning, chilli, soya mince and lemon juice and give that a good stir. Add the kidney beans and tomatoes and allow that to cook down for 8-10mins so the veggies soften into the sauce. Pour this into a dish and flatten the top. Add your tortilla chips in a single layer and sprinkle over your cheese. Bake in the oven for 15mins, until the cheese is golden and bubbling nicely. Serve with a crisp green salad.

I love seeing your creations so feel free to tag me @happyhealthyeveryday on Instagram!

Caroline XOXO