Name: Breakfast Nachos
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 large tomatoes, finely diced; 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and finely diced; 3 tablespoons minced red, yellow, or white onion; 1 large handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped (a little stem is fine); 3 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapeños (or 1 whole pickled jalapeño), finely chopped; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; Kosher salt; 6 large eggs; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 6 ounces [170 g] tortilla chips (about 6 cups); 1 cup [110 g] coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese; 1 cup [110 g] coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese; ½ cup [120 g] sour cream

Tortilla chips with melted cheese tomato avocados scrambled eggs and dollops of sour cream.

Photo by Melina Hammer

One night when I was a kid at sleepaway camp, our counselor told us she couldn’t wait to go to sleep so she could wake up and eat breakfast. This tiny moment has stuck with me for all these years and I always think of her when I’m anticipating a really fun breakfast. These nachos inspire that kind of pure enthusiasm. They’re fantastic to make for a crowd, whether it’s a group of friends spending the weekend together (and quite possibly getting over a hangover) or a bunch of cousins or kids waking up after a sleepover. These nachos really lend themselves to customization and are an excellent place to use up little bits of leftovers (for example, extra black beans, cooked and crumbled sausage or bacon, or roasted vegetables on the nachos themselves, or a random radish or extra scallions in the tomato mixture). These nachos remind me that two big components of healthy eating are flexibility and pleasure. Both of those are essential for feeling good about ourselves.

Recipe information

Yield
6 servings

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, finely diced

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and finely diced

3 tablespoons minced red, yellow, or white onion

1 large handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped (a little stem is fine)

3 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapeños (or 1 whole pickled jalapeño), finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

6 large eggs

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

6 ounces [170 g] tortilla chips (about 6 cups)

1 cup [110 g] coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup [110 g] coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese

½ cup [120 g] sour cream

Preparation

Step 1
Position your oven rack 6 inches [15 cm] from the broiling element and turn the broiler to high.
Step 2
Place the tomatoes, avocado, onion, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and lime juice in a large bowl and season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix gently to combine and season to taste with more salt if needed. Let the mixture sit while you prepare the nachos.
Step 3
Place the eggs and ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Place the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once it melts, add the beaten eggs and cook, stirring, until the eggs are just set, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and reserve the mixture.
Step 4
Lay the chips in an even layer on a sheet pan and sprinkle evenly with half of the cheddar cheese and half of the Monterey Jack cheese. Evenly divide the scrambled eggs on top of the cheese layer and then evenly sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the eggs.
Step 5
Broil until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes (but keep an eye on the nachos as broilers vary and yours might take a little less or a little more time).
Step 6
Top the nachos with the tomato mixture and dollop the sour cream on top. Serve immediately.

Cover of the cookbook featuring the author in her kitchen.

From Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food © 2021 by Julia Turshen. Reprinted with permission by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins, Amazon, or Bookshop.