Crispy Roasted Mushroom Nachos | Emily Weinberger Recipes

Mushrooms have been my favorite ingredient of the moment. I love tossing them in olive oil, salt and A LOT of black pepper and roasting them at high heat until all the water has evaporated and they crisp up. We usually eat them alongside salmon or other lean protein with rice or another starchy vegetable. A lot of people use mushrooms as a meat substitute and as we have been consuming less and less in our household, I thought they would hold up well spiced with taco seasonings and scattered on top of nachos. To me, nachos are best with a cheese sauce rather than just sprinkling with cheese, which is exactly what I do here. It gets slathered all over the nachos, baked with the toppings to create the perfect mix of some slightly soggy and super crispy chips.

Ingredients

10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups whole milk

3 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

3 ounces havarti cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

12 ounces tortilla chips

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup pickled jalapenos

Sliced radish, cilantro leaves and lime wedges, for garnish

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the mushrooms with the olive oil, taco seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper on a baking sheet and bake until they are crispy and dark brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a large bowl; set the baking sheet aside as you will need it again.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk until a sandy consistency forms. Cook, whisking constantly to prevent burning, until it turns a light golden, about 2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the milk, whisking constantly, until combined. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer until the flour taste is gone and the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Fold in the pepper jack cheese and havarti cheese until melted.

Scatter the tortilla chips on the baking sheet (be careful as it may still be hot). Drizzle all but 1/4 cup of the cheese sauce over the chips. Add the black beans, corn, pickled jalapenos and the remaining 1/4 cup cheese sauce. Bake until the chips begin to turn a golden brown and the ingredients are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Garnish with the radish, cilantro and limes.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes