Make fun of nacho lovers all you want—I'll happily eat your portion. Not the gooey, glowing cheese sauce poured over chips sold at stadium games. I’m dreaming of thick, hearty corn chips scattered luxuriously with spicy meats, melting cheese, and eye-popping pickled peppers.
We plan on serving just such a treat on Halloween. Nachos feel like the perfect casual food for the adults to nibble on between handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. Our 2023 version of nachos features a richly flavored turkey and black bean mixture, roasted pumpkin, and a blanket of melting cheese. Really, what’s not to like?
To accompany the nachos, our menu includes freshly made guacamole, studded with fire-roasted corn (from the freezer case and thawed), and crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds. A platter of sliced jicama, cucumber, and baby carrots serve as guacamole vehicles.
Bowls of chili-spiced nuts pair well with local beers and ciders. Plus, the salty goodness counteracts the candy we intend on consuming. Other items on the menu could include a quick shrimp cocktail made from cooked shrimp, spicy tomato salsa, fresh lime juice, cilantro, and avocado chunks to serve on chips or crostini. An assortment of cheese, salamis, and crackers help feed an expanding crowd.
For successful nachos, select the best corn chips available. I like the thickish, homemade-style chips sold at local Mexican markets in paper sacks. Don’t use very thin chips, as they will not hold up well to the hearty toppings. Do arrange chips in a mostly single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the toppings to the chips just before popping the pan in the hot oven. Serve right away for the crispiest chips.
The roasted pumpkin is optional but delicious here. Use a small pie pumpkin or a hunk of calabaza squash from a Mexican market. Leftover roasted pumpkin tastes great over a green salad or as a garnish for soups.
Work ahead so you can enjoy the guests. The meat mixture and roasted pumpkin can be made several days in advance. Set out all the nacho toppings up to 1 hour before serving.
The spiced nuts also can be made days before the party. Homemade guacamole can be made up to four hours before serving, just be sure to put plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guac to prevent browning.
This recipe makes enough meat topping for two sheet pans of chips. Each pan will serve three or four hearty eaters; more if you are serving these as an appetizer before dinner. Of course, you can always serve the meat mixture and toppings over crispy tostadas for a less communal appetizer.
No need to worry about dessert with this party menu. Everyone loves Halloween candy.
A Halloween Party Menu
- Pumpkin and black bean nachos (see recipe)
- Chile-spiced nuts with pumpkin seeds and cranberries (see recipe)
- Guacamole with fire-roasted corn and pumpkin seeds
- Sliced jicama, cucumbers, and carrots
- Shrimp cocktail with salsa on crostini
- Assorted cheese and salami platter
Pumpkin and Black Bean Nachos
Makes 6 to 8 servings
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 pound ground turkey or beef
- 1 medium-size sweet onion, chopped
- 1/2 large red or orange bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup (1/2 of a 15 ounce can) black beans, drained
- 1/2 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
For Serving
- 1 bag (14 to 16 ounces) lightly salted homemade-style corn tortilla chips
- About 2 cups roasted pumpkin, see recipe, optional
- 1 pound (16 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- 2 avocados, halved, pitted, diced
- Sliced bottled pickled jalapeño peppers (aka nacho slices)
- About 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Mexican hot sauce, for serving
Heat a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat; add oil and turkey. Cook, using a spatula to break the meat up into small bite-size pieces, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
Stir in onion and bell pepper. Cook and stir until onions start to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, salt, and cumin until well mixed. Add beans, canned pumpkin, and ketchup. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Mixture can be refrigerated for up to several days; reheat briefly in microwave oven until hot.)
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange half of the corn chips in a mostly single layer on each of two large rimmed baking sheets. Top chips with dollops of the warm meat mixture. Top with roasted pumpkin, and then sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and everything is piping hot, about 5 minutes.
Serve each pan of nachos garnished with dollops of yogurt, bits of avocado, and sliced peppers. Sprinkle generously with cilantro. Pass hot sauce.
Roasted Pumpkin
Note: Look for calabaza, often sold cut into wedges, in Hispanic markets. Butternut squash can be used here, too; save time by purchasing diced raw butternut in the produce aisle.
Makes about 4 cups
- 1 small pie pumpkin OR a large wedge calabaza, about 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Trim ends off pumpkin. Cut in half through the stem end. Scrape out seeds and fiber. Set cut-side down on a board. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut away skin. Cut pumpkin flesh into 1/2 inch thick slices. Cut slices into 1-inch pieces.
Put pumpkin pieces onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil to coat everything nicely. Sprinkle with salt.
Roast, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden and flesh is tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate covered up to several days.
Chili-Spiced Nuts With Pumpkin Seeds and Cranberries
Makes about 5 cups
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mild or spicy chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups assorted unsalted nuts, such as a mix of cashews, pecans, walnuts, peanuts
- 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add chili powder and salt; mix well. Stir in nuts. Cook and stir over medium heat until nuts are lightly toasted, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Transfer mixture to a large baking sheet to cool.
Store at room temperature in a covered container for a couple of days.
