Loaded Mushroom & Kale Nachos
The following recipe and photography is courtesy of Graham R. and his dog, Carl. For more of their delicious food ventures, visit them on Instagram @cookingwithcarrrl.
Would you believe me if I told you nachos could be made kind of healthy? Well believe me, because these chips are topped with tender mushrooms, sausage, a bunch of kale, a hint of red chili flakes and a cooling creamy Greek yogurt chive crema. This is a great weeknight meal and an awesome way to sneak some greens into your kids’ diet without a fight! I mean, who wouldn’t be excited for nachos for dinner?
The flavors in this dish are inspired by a sausage and kale soup my sister makes. I usually stay clear of her kitchen concoctions, but this one always has me coming back for seconds. It’s full of kale and sausage with a slight kick from chili flakes. The flavors are so comforting, and they transfer to nachos really well!
Every plate of nachos needs a solid chip that will stay intact while carrying the weight of the delicious toppings. Heinen’s organic tortilla chips do this job seamlessly. These are my favorite dipping chips for a few reasons, but most important to me is their thickness. They’re ideal for scooping, and they hold their crunch after being covered in melted cheese. Grab a few bags when you make this recipe, you won’t regret it.
I’m not one to kiss and kale, but I’ll share this!
Loaded Mushroom & Kale Nachos
Servings: 5
Ingredients
For the Loaded Mushroom & Kale Nachos
- 1 lb. Heinen’s CARE Certified Italian ground sausage
- 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed
- 1/4 tsp. chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 bag Heinen's organic tortilla chips
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
For the Chive Crema
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 Tbsp. chives, chopped
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the crema ahead of time. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Add salt to taste and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Warm a skillet over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook for 10 minutes, breaking it into crumbled bits.
- After 10 minutes, add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Mix and cover for 5 minutes to allow the mushrooms to release their juices and soften.
- Add the chopped kale and a tsp. of water. Cover until the kale is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Take a large cast iron skillet and fill the bottom with half of the bag of chips. Add half of the kale and mushroom mixture and half of the shredded cheeses. Add the remaining chips and top with remaining toppings and cheeses.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted.
- Serve family-style in the skillet with a drizzle of the chive crema. Experiment with additional toppings such as tomatoes, black olives or even chia seeds! A margarita on the side doesn’t hurt either.
