Recipe: Plantain Chip & Black Bean Nachos

I used golden yellow plantain chips for the base instead of the traditional corn ones; they're lightly crispy and offer a unique and different flavor — almost slightly sour, with a hint of banana-ish familiarity peeking through the saltiness. I used refried black beans instead of pintos, and I tossed in chorizo and some fresh salsa for some vivid redness. Nachos are easy to make, and always welcome at a football game — try these for a change!

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound fresh chorizo
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• half of an 8-ounce bag plantain chips
• 1 14-ounce can refried black beans
• 4 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup fresh salsa

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Brown the chorizo in a medium skillet, adding the onion when the sausage is almost done; cook for 3 minutes, just so that the onions aren't too raw.

Place the plantain chips into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Top with the refried beans, then cover the beans with the chorizo mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, and spread the salsa over the cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and the dish is bubbling a bit.

Serves 4-8, depending upon serving size.

This recipe was written by Mary Bilyeu and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Sept. 22, 2011.