Bell Pepper Nachos Are A Fresh Way To Enjoy This Crowd-Favorite Appetizer

Love nachos? Of course, you do, because who doesn't? There's an almost infinite number of ways to seriously upgrade your nachos. Because they're so versatile, they're one of those meals guaranteed to please everyone at the dinner table. While most people might think of mixing things up when it comes to toppings, that's just the start.

Tortilla chips are simply the vehicles for the toppings, and replacing them with something else can be a great way to add some serious variety to your nachos. Trading tortilla chips for waffle fries is a version popularly known as Irish nachos, and there are other options, too. Looking for a way to take advantage of a plethora of summertime produce? Swap those tortilla chips for bell peppers; you might have a new summer favorite.

You're bound to love the crisp, flavorful freshness that this super-easy switch brings to the table, and this can absolutely be a one-pan, super-easy meal with minimal clean-up and maximum love from everyone gathered around the dinner table. There's another bonus to using peppers in place of chips, too. Some tortilla chips can just be way too salty, and they can overpower the flavors that you're putting on top. That's just not going to happen with bell peppers, meaning you can savor all that spicy, zesty freshness that we love about nachos without worrying about the whole thing just becoming unbearably salty.

If there's one thing better than a creative way to upgrade an old favorite, it's a creative upgrade that's incredibly easy. Swapping our tortilla chips for bell peppers takes minimal work, especially if your ground beef or chicken is prepped in advance. Cut your peppers into thick, chunky slices that are large enough to hold some toppings but small enough to be bite-sized. (Or, just cut them in half as pictured: That's a great option if you're using this as an appetizer, and everyone can take their own pepper.) Cover a baking tray with the pepper slices, add your toppings, cover with cheese, and bake until all the cheese is melted into ooey, gooey, goodness. And that's it! 

The peppers will retain some of their delicious crunch, and you can definitely get creative with those peppers, too. Use red, yellow, and green, and if you happen to find large banana peppers, they're great to add in as well. Mini peppers are even easier to cut into bite-sized boats, and don't forget the sliced jalapenos for the top!

From there, add all of your favorite cold toppings. From guacamole and sour cream to fresh herbs, chunks of tomatoes, or a fresh pico de gallo, bell peppers are perfect for scooping up all those traditional accouterments. 

Popping your bell pepper nachos in the oven is perfect if you're melting some cheese on the top. But you can also leave them raw for all veggie nachos: Slice your peppers into strips, add scoops of fine-diced tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and drizzle with a sour cream-based dressing. It's perfect for a hot summer night when you just don't feel like heating up the kitchen with a stove or oven, and let's be honest, we can always use more of these in our recipe arsenal.

You can also use other types of vegetables as a base for nachos, although some might take a little more work than these easy bell peppers. Sliced sweet potatoes add a delicious sweetness, and you can also slice and bake zucchini into chips in a similar way. Don't want to bake them? Slice, grill, and then top with all those delicious nacho toppings.

Love cheese? Can't get enough of it? Use cheese instead of tortilla chips! If you've made homemade pizza and had a mozzarella spill that leaves a crunchy, crusty, chip-like blob of cheese on the pizza tray, you know where we're going with this one. Bake piles of cheese for around 10 minutes, and you'll end up with cheese "chips" that you can use for nachos. You'll need a fork with this one, but doesn't it sound delicious? It is!