Cauliflower Nachos

Looking to cut down on some carbs? No problem! These cauliflower nachos are a great nutritious meal that packs in veggies where you would have never thought of before! With all of the toppings the cauliflower just serves as a neutral base. Also, actually feel full quicker due to the extra nutrients from all the veggies as opposed to the carbs in the chips. You may not go back to chips after trying this recipe…

Feel free to customize with your own toppings. I included some healthier options such as substituting ground turkey for beef. With the seasoning and all the other toppings, you can barely taste the difference and you save on the saturated fat from the beef, so worth it! I love spicy so I like adding extra jalepenos on top. If you don’t like spicy, you can use the jalepenos but remove all of the seeds. You’d be surprised at how mild the pepper becomes without the seeds. The jalepenos definitely give a great crunch, but are totally optional!

The key is to cut the cauliflower so that it is flat on both sides. This took me a couple of tries at first but you really get more of a chip-like shape once you get it! Either way, the dish will taste the same!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 package of ground turkey, 1-2 lbs (93-99% lean)

1 head cauliflower

2 bell peppers, cut into strips

2 medium onions, cut into slices

2 jalepenos, coarsely chopped

1 C low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

1 can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

1 T chili powder

1/2 T garlic powder

2 T taco seasoning

1 T fajita seasoning (or taco seasoning)

black pepper

1/2 C olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare cauliflower by first cutting it in half. Take one half and cut 1/2 inch slices. Then cut slices into bite size pieces (to resemble chips). Cut both sides the same way. Rinse well in strainer and put on large greased cooking sheet. Spread about 1/4-1/3 C olive oil and add chili powder and garlic powder. Put in preheated oven for 15 min. Continue to step 2 while cooking. After 15 minutes, cauliflower should be slightly crunchy. Set aside.
2. In medium sauté pan add ground turkey and taco seasoning. Add additional garlic powder and onion powder if desired (1 tsp of each). Stir constantly until completely cooked and no longer pink. Put into bowl and set aside, removing any oil or fat that remains in the pan.
3. Cut the peppers into strips and onions into slices. In same pan used for the meat, add 1 T olive oil. Then add peppers, onions, fajita seasoning and 1 T water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally. If peppers and onions are sticking to the pan, add more olive oil or water 1 T at a time. Continue to cook until soft.
4. On baking tray with the cauliflower, add cooked ground turkey. Then top with black beans followed by the peppers and onions.  Add jalepenos and finish with cheese. Put into oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and brown. Serve with salsa and guacamole if desired.