Sheet pan tofu nachos
Crunchy chips piled with smoky taco-spiced tofu crumbles, melted cheese, pickled jalapeños and pico de gallo, a sheet pan of nachos that counts as a real dinner.
- 40 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $1.98 a serving
- 630 calories
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 package extra-firm tofu, drained
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 8 oz tortilla chips
- 1½ cups Mexican blend cheese
- 2 tbsp pickled jalapeños (optional)
- ½ cup pico de gallo
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
- ¼ cup sour cream (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup water
Each serving has about 630 calories, 26 g protein, 43 g carbs and 41 g fat, and costs about $1.98 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No extra-firm tofu? Firm tofu works.
- No Mexican blend cheese? Shredded cheddar or cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No pico de gallo? Salsa works.
- No avocados? Guacamole works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 400°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
the tofu dry and it with your fingers into small pieces.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Crumble. Crumbling means breaking food into small, rough bits with your fingers or a spoon, like feta or ground meat in the pan. Small bits spread through the dish, so there’s some in every bite.
How you’ll know: The pieces are small and uneven, about pea-size, with no big clumps left.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu, stirring every couple of minutes, 10 to 12 minutes, until and in spots.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Medium-high heatTimer: 11 min
Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, tomato paste and water and stir about 2 minutes, until the tofu is coated and the pan is dry.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Dolly’s tip: This is your taco crumble. It works in tacos and burrito bowls too.Spread the chips on a in a single, slightly overlapping layer. Scatter over half the cheese, then the tofu, then the rest of the cheese, and the jalapeños if you like.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Dolly’s tip: Layering cheese under and over the tofu glues everything to the chips.6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese is and bubbling at the edges.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 7 min
Dolly’s tip: Chip edges burn fast. Start checking at 5 minutes.Top with the pico de gallo, avocado and dollops of sour cream and serve right away, straight from the pan.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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