Description
Transform leftover chili into easy sheet pan nachos with melted cheese and fresh toppings. Perfect way to repurpose a basic chili batch in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces tortilla chips
- 3 cups leftover chili, any variety
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños, optional
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange half of the tortilla chips in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Heat leftover chili in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through and simmering, about 5 minutes.
- Spoon half of the warmed chili over the first layer of chips, distributing evenly.
- Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the chili layer.
- Add remaining tortilla chips as a second layer, then top with remaining chili and remaining cheese.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly and nachos are heated through.
- Remove from oven and immediately top with diced tomato, diced avocado, sliced green onions, and fresh cilantro.
- Add dollops of sour cream over the nachos or drizzle using a cut corner of a ziplock bag.
- Garnish with pickled jalapeños if desired and serve immediately with lime wedges.
Notes
- Use thick chili for nachos to prevent soggy chips; leftover chili thickens well when refrigerated.
- Layer the nachos in two layers so every chip receives toppings.
- Warm the chili before adding to the nachos; oven time is for melting cheese.
- Prep all fresh toppings while the nachos bake for immediate serving.
- Serve nachos immediately after baking for best texture.
- Store leftover chili separately in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating assembled nachos in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes is possible, but expect softer chips.
- You can swap cheddar for pepper jack cheese for more spice.
- Add refried beans or black beans between layers for extra protein.
- Make a cilantro lime sour cream by mixing sour cream with lime juice and cilantro.
- Use the broiler on high for 2-3 minutes instead of baking for faster melting.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snack/Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American