spring has sprung, and summer is around the corner, so it is time to spice things up and get some heat brewing in the kitchen. summer bbqs, weekend lake parties and long, languid nights call for culinary creativity, but often it becomes a nutritional nightmare. we want to share with you one of our extra caliente recipes that will have your taste buds begging for more while also giving your body something it can use.

without further introduction, let’s dive into this flavor filled, protein-packed, vegan nacho recipe so you can whip up a pan tonight!

4-5 servings… if you can share

• 4 bags of iwon tapatio flavor snack chips

• 1 ½ cups of seasoned refried black beans (you can make them yourself or used can.)

• ½ cup of shredded purple cabbage

• ¾ cup of vegan shredded cheese

• 1 cup of vegan nacho cheese sauce

• 3 tbsp. of tapatio hot sauce

• Bottle of tapatio hot sauce for added flavor at the end

• ¼ cup of diced shallots

• 1 cup of diced vine ripe tomatoes

• ¼ cup of green onions

• 1 thinly sliced jalapeno

grab a cast iron skillet or oven friendly casserole dish and put in a layer of iwon tapatio flavored snack chips. next, mix in the 3 tablespoons of tapatio sauce into your refried black beans to get a runny consistency and spread a thin layer across the chips. sprinkle on half of your cabbage, shallots, green onions and tomatoes and then top with half of your vegan nacho cheese spread. now add a second layer of iwon tapatio flavored snack chips and put on your beans and vegan nacho cheese spread, then add the rest of your tomatoes, green onions and shallots. lastly, cover the top with the vegan shredded cheese to get it all melted!

bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes until both layers are hot and the top cheese has begun to melt. while this is baking, grill your jalapeno slices on the stove stop in a small skillet or if you have gas, you can roast it whole directly over the flame and then slice it. now add the thinly sliced jalapeno and tapatio sauce depending on your threshold for spicy to the top of your partially baked nachos. place your oven on broil for 2-4 minutes and continue to bake until the cheese has fully melted and lightly browned.

there’s no way to mess this recipe up, so even if you are not a whiz in the kitchen, you can still serve this up at your next get together. be as generous or frugal as you want with the ingredients and feel free to add or subtract based on your preferred flavors. when the nachos are ready, you can serve them directly in the cast iron skillet or casserole dish. if you decide to share, you may want to leave off the extra tapatio sauce and simply serve them with the bottle so guests can decide just how spicy they want it!