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These. Were. Bomb. Seriously may have been one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, let alone the best nachos. And so easy! Thank you <3
Taryn
Hello thare Monday!
Today’s nacho platter brought to you by homemade enchilada sauce simmered up with a lentil and grain mixture + easy, real food, homemade three cheese sauce that will give our long-standing frenemy Velveeta a run for its money.
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 <– how much I like these nachos.
My life was one big nacho party last week – no complaints whatsoever. Maybe it’s too obvious, but I SO love all kinds of nachos. It’s ingrained in my roots, really – sometime during my freshman or sophomore year of high school, we got an Applebees in my small town, and ooooh baby. Lots of late-night half-price activity went down there, making my adult self prone to falling in love FAST with any and all things even close to resembling nachos.
Before we go forward here, I have to ask you a favor which is please do not imagine how many plates of these nachos Bjork and I ate during the game yesterday (game meaning the time when we had the TV on and men were running around in colored suits and helmets and stuff, and one of us watched it while the other one just ate). Just don’t. It’s better for everyone if you don’t.
There are a few types of nachos in the world, so let’s break it down.
TYPE ONE: CHEAP NACHOS
These are the ones that you get at sporting events that are essentially tortilla chips with one pump of that bright yellow nacho cheese sauce. Not above it. Not gonna lie.
TYPE TWO: DRY NACHOS
“Dry” nachos are the ones that you probably get at a nicer restaurant, and they’re probably loaded with everything delicious, like pulled pork and fresh pico and radish slices and cotija cheese… which is so awesome in theory, but you are a tiny bit sad when you eat them because they’re, like, actually dry. They are missing the critical elements of saucy meat and drippy cheese and sauces of all varieties, making them just chips with delicious food on them, but still – D-R-Y. Nachos should not be dry. I feel pretty strongly about this.
TYPE THREE: REGRETFULLY GOOD NACHOS
Most often found at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant bar-type establishment, and almost always eaten after 11pm. You know the ones. These are the nachos that nail it with the saucy meat and drippy sauce and when you eat them you are in heaven. But OMG re-grrrehhht. Should you really have eaten that whole plate just before midnight? (Answer: yes. always worth it.) Please tell me you know.
TYPE FOUR: PERFECT NACHOS 👌
Which brings us to these humble “perfect” nachos. When your nachos are loaded with a lentil filling that is reminiscent of the classic saucy meat of all the best nachos, and then swimming in a homemade real food cheese sauce and topped with all the fresh things like avocados and cilantro and red onions, and equal parts good wholesome ingredients and saucy, drippy wonderfulness, THEN YOU KNOW that these are your perfect nachos.
There are two sauces you’ll need for this recipe (the enchilada sauce and the cheese sauce), which sounds like a lot, but pinkie promise it’s not even hard.
As soon as I was done, Bjork stood over this cheese sauce at the stove with a bag of chips and just went for it. It’s that dangerous.
SPICY LENTIL NACHOS for lyfe! They are meatless and made with real, whole foods, and perfect for game day which, apparently, is every day lately. Tis nacho season!
Would it be a crime to drown the whole thing in the chzzzzzzz? I dunno.
Some decisions are best made in the heat of the moment.
Spicy Lentil Nachos with Three Cheese Sauce
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Spicy Lentil Nachos with Three Cheese Sauce – you will not believe how good these are! Saucy filling with a velvety homemade cheese sauce. Vegetarian.
Ingredients
For the Nachos
- 1 cup uncooked lentils
- 1/2 cup uncooked freekeh or other grain like farro, bulgur, or brown rice
- 4 cups enchilada sauce
- 3–4 cups broth or water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- chips
- cilantro, avocado, jalapeno, and lime for topping
For the Cheese Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I liked Monterrey Jack, Mozzarella, and Pepperjack)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils and the grains. Bring the enchilada sauce and 2 cups broth to a low simmer. Add the lentils and grains and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes or until everything is soft and most of the moisture has been absorbed. If things are getting too dry, add some of the extra broth to the pot while it’s simmering. The sauce should eventually take on a thick gravy-like consistency (see pictures).
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour.
- Add the milk slowly, whisking to smooth out any lumps of flour. Simmer until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
- Top the chips with a scoop of the lentil mixture, the cheese sauce, avocado, and cilantro.
Notes
The lentils and grains will absorb more liquid as they rest. Cooking time and amount of moisture needed for the lentils may vary depending on how long they’ve been in storage.
The nutrition facts listed are for 1/8th of the cheese AND lentils, but they do not include the chips since that will vary depending on your type of chips and how many you actually eat.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Keywords: lentil nachos, three cheese sauce, spicy nachos
I have had this on my recipe wish list for years and finally got around to making it and wow, why did I wait so long? This was perfection on the day I made it but the leftovers I packed up were better the next day. I used TJ’s enchilada sauce and it was perfect- and a bit easier than making my own! Do not sleep on this recipe- I feel like you should be talking about it more! I’m going to share with two vegan friends. With a couple of modifications, this will be a perfect treat for them!
This was so delicious. My lentils were pretty old and I accidentally added 3 cups of water instead of 2, so it took forever to cook, but it was so worth it.
I just made these Spicy Lentil Nachos, and they were a hit at my game night! The three cheese sauce is creamy and flavorful, and I love that I can enjoy nachos without feeling guilty. Can’t wait to make them again! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
This was delicious! Definitely take care when buying your enchilada sauce though – the one I had made the dish too salty, plus the added salt from the broth and chips.
These are so good!!! I made my own red sauce and also used broth. It was a bit on the salty side so I’ll note that for next time. Overall very good!
My family loved these! Leaving a comment since it’s an older recipe that deserves your attention! My very picky 13 year old devoured these (I always read recipes about picky teenagers eating things but it never seems to work for us). This is a weekend recipe for us, with making both enchilada sauce and cheese sauce, but very easy, and worth the effort! Thanks so much!
Excited to try! Do you know how to convert the lentil/rice directions for an instant pot? Not sure if I keep the same liquid levels and what time. Thank you!!
Great question! We haven’t tried cooking the lentil and rice in the Instant Pot so it’s hard to say. I’d estimate 10 minutes to be a good cook time.
This recipe is on point! Great option for those looking to keep their favorite meals and switch to vegetarian. I was shocked at how good these taste. Will absolutely make again! Do yourself a favor and give these a try!!
This recipe looks yummy! I’m new to lentils…would this work as a taco filler?
Absolutely!
Do you think you could add more lentils
To omit the rice?
Absolutely!
These nachos were really good! I was skeptical when the liquid wasn’t really reducing in the lentil rice mixture, but all in good time. I would have preferred a mixture of Monterey jack and pepper jack but nobody else in my family likes spicy so I made it with all Monterey jack and put jalepenos on mine. Yum!
Glad you enjoyed the nachos, LJ!
I made these into chilaquiles by placing a yolky fried egg on top. SO good. Eating brunch for all the meals now.
YUM!
My picky wife and oldest son ate two helpings. Super easy nachos that was both satisfying and delicious. I ended up needing more water and time on the lentils and rice, but that was minor change to recipe. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you all enjoyed these, Juan!
My whole family loved these nachos- even my picky one! So delish!
These. Were. Bomb. Seriously may have been one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, let alone the best nachos. And so easy! Thank you <3
I made this dish tonight for dinner. Over all the flavors and combos are amazing and you can make several variations easy. But there were hiccups for me. The length of time had to be doubled in order to cook the lentils (I used dried, it was all I could find in the store) and brown rice. I also have to double the amount of extra liquid due to the cooking time doubling as well.
This is great recipe over all, but if you don’t have canned lentils, it is going to take more time and liquid.
These were delicious! I did have to cook the lentils longer than suggested. Ended up cooking closer to an hour, instead of the listed 30-40minutes. Otherwise…AMAZING!
Love these, would be perfect for any type of party!
This may be one of the best things I have ever eaten. Topped with pickled jalapeños and I may eat all of it! Trying to reduce meat and incorporate grains in my diet. Your recipes are awesome!
This feels like a silly question, but what type of lentils did you use? It seems the default is green, but the ones I bought look much larger than those in your pictures. Making these tonight either way, they look absolutely delicious!
Hi Lily! I believe this recipe uses brown lentils.
Oh em gee, this was so delicious. That homemade enchilada sauce is GREAT! And so easy! I’ll probably make lentil enchiladas with the leftovers. Thanks for sharing!!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Haley!
Just made this tonight and it was delicous. Even my boyfriend was loving it. Now to just use up the leftover lentil mixture in oven baked chimichangas!
Just tried this out for dinner, and it is the perfect nacho plate! I have been on the look out for vegetarian dishes that would satisfy my boyfriend’s tastes as well and he loved it! I also made the enchilada sauce from your recipe, came out great too. Next up is the falafel bliss bowls. Super easy, super tasty, thanks!
Awesome, Grace! Glad you liked it. 🙂
Ohmygod…thank you! Eating this as I type and boy, was it worth taking the time to cook it when I got home from work! Gooey, stretchy, rich cheese sauce isn’t a thing in England – nachos tend to get some grated cheddar thrown over them and thrown under the grill. I may have to spread the word Thank you!
Glad you liked them, Kirsten!
Made this tonight… very delicious! We did 1 cup lentils and ~1/2 cup quinoa. It took mine closer to 60 minutes to soften to the right consistency. Thanks for the recipe.
We love hearing that! Thanks, Sara!