Sheet Pan Nacho Recipe

Sheet pan meals are taking over home cooking life, because, well, cleanup is minimal, and prep is easy too. So, along with Mashed, Melissa Olivieri, who blogs about family recipes at The Olive Blogger, has put together a delish recipe for sheet pan nachos supreme that are equally ideal for a quick dinner or snack for a group. "These nachos are a go-to dinner idea for us when it's basketball season," she told us about her own family, adding, "They are a delicious and easy way to enjoy a variety of our faves all on one tray." Exactly — one tray. It doesn't get any more fun and functional than that! 

As Olivieri notes, "This is 100 percent a beginners recipe." Basically, if you can chop and dice produce and layer it atop chips on a sheet pan, you can pull this impressive-looking recipe together in no time. Olivieri shared, "It's nice because the way they are done and served on the sheet pan makes them look so fancy, but no one needs to know they are super easy!"

This sheet pan nachos meal or snack — your choice — is all about produce. You will need a red pepper, a yellow pepper, a red onion, and diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes. Olivieri told us, "Fresh tomatoes are great on these nachos." She confided, "I use whatever is on hand to make this recipe easier, so in this instance, it was canned diced tomatoes." She recommends buying the spicy or fire-roasted variety "for even more flavor."

This recipe also requires an optional jalapeño — if you enjoy more heat to your nachos —  as well black and green olives, and shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Shop for cilantro, ground beef, and a big bag of tortilla chips as well. Finally, grab kosher salt, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and ground pepper from your pantry.

Before doing anything else, you will preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, it's time to prep your produce, which is definitely the most time-consuming part of putting together this indulgent sheet pan nachos supreme recipe. Olivieri reminds home cooks to wash all of their produce and then dice up the peppers, onions, and fresh tomato — unless, of course, you are going with canned. Also, if you can't live without a kick to your nachos, prep that jalapeño by dicing it finely. Wear gloves if you want, to avoid burning your hands or, worse, your eyes. Don't forget to wash your hands before accidentally touching your face.

Set aside the produce, as you'll be coming back to it momentarily. Next up, you will brown your ground beef and then you can assemble your nachos. Not too much longer to wait before they are ready to serve!

Vegetarians should know that these sheet pan nachos don't require meat to make them magnificent. Olivieri told Mashed, "The thing I love about a recipe like this is that you can easily adapt it to your tastes and dietary needs." She says if meat isn't your thing, "You could easily do up some browned tofu or Beyond Meat if you're looking for the extra protein that the meat adds."

Should you be using ground beef, you will grab a medium pan and set it on the stove over medium heat. Add your ground beef, and then season it with the salt, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and ground pepper. Cook the beef until it is fully browned, which Olivieri estimates will take about ten minutes.

Let the beef cool, and meanwhile, to keep the process moving along for a hungry crowd, go ahead and begin to assemble your nachos.

Time to pull out a non-stick baking sheet (lined with foil if you want an even easier cleanup) and empty your bag of tortilla chips onto it. The next step is to top the chips with half of the cheese.

We asked Olivieri why she chose to incorporate two different types of cheese into this sheet pan nachos recipe, and we loved her simple and candid answer: "I mean, it's cheese!" she told Mashed, adding, "I could have put five kinds of cheese on it and still would want more!" More specifically, she told us, "But in this case, I used the cheddar for the sharp flavor and the mozzarella for the stringy goodness it creates when it melts over the chips."  

"You could use a pepper jack cheese if you wanted some extra heat," she suggested, adding, "Or just use mozzarella if you don't care for the flavor of a bold cheese, but you still want the melted effect."

Once you have decided upon which cheese or cheeses you wish to go with, add your diced peppers, tomatoes, and red onion.

Next up, layer on the optional jalapeño, as well as your olives, half of the cilantro, and the ground beef. You will top off your taste bud-tantalizing sheet pan nachos supreme with the remaining cheese.

Once assembled, pop the sheet pan in the oven and bake it at 375 degrees for just about ten minutes, watching for the cheese to get all melty and gooey. Before serving up your eye candy of a creation, you finish it with the rest of the cilantro — if you are fan — and Olivieri also recommends offering salsa, sour cream, and guacamole for dipping. "I love to put my dips in small bowls and nest them into the tray of nachos," she advises home cooks.

Meanwhile, if you desire a spicier serving, she has a few ideas, including incorporating hot pepper rings and seasoning your ground beef with cayenne pepper. On the flip side, "For less spice, you would simply omit the jalapeños," she told Mashed.

Olivieri told us that with this particular recipe, you will want to serve it right away. Sadly, she notes, "Nope, I don't recommended these as a leftover meal." Why? "They become soggy, and even if you reheat them in the oven, you won't get the same taste and texture as when they are first made." But there is an even more practical reason why planning to eat these sheet pan nachos supreme at a later time is simply not realistic, with Olivieri joking to Mashed, "Let's be honest, who wouldn't devour the entire tray?" Um, guilty!

Of course, if you think the portion size here is too much, no worries. "What you can do if you don't think you will eat them all is to halve the recipe so it serves less," Olivieri recommends. Done and done! Enjoy!