When you're craving nachos, here's a yummy skinny option for you: cheese and black bean nachos, from the Weight Watchers Power Foods Cookbook (affiliate link).
WW Cheese & Black Bean Nachos
Nachos have been a longtime family favorite since Mom began making them when I was a kid. She used canned chili and lots and lots of cheese back then.
I thought they were delicious!
Through the years I've eaten tons of nachos (both good and not-so good).
My current favorites - super nachos from Richardon's here in Phoenix - are hard to beat. Loaded with cheese, beans and chorizo, they're certainly not what you would ever call Weight Watchers friendly.
Sometimes I want the flavor of nachos done lighter and healthier. That's where these Weight Watchers Skinny Cheese and Black Bean Nachos come in. They're an easy, tasty and delicious lighter alternative that won't weigh your down.
How Many Calories/WW Points in Skinny Cheese & Black Bean Nachos?
According to my calculations, each serving has about 222 calories and:
7 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
The Skinny on Cheese and Black Bean Nachos Recipe Notes
What makes these cheese and black bean nachos lighter? Baked low-fat tortilla chips, reduced-fat monterey jack cheese, and a healthy dose of black beans instead of more fattening seasoned ground beef or chili.
I made them for dinner recently when I was craving a nacho fix that wouldn't blow the Points budget. We both thought they were delicious.
Of course you can make all kinds of additions and changes to this recipe to suit your tastes and what you have on hand....
Tips & Variations:
Different Beans - Use whatever beans you prefer—black, pinto, chili beans, refried beans, etc.
With Meat - Chopped cooked chicken or turkey breasts are the obvious zero points choices. Ground turkey or lean beef cooked with taco seasonings or shredded beef or pork would also be delicious.
Different Cheese - Any kind of shredded reduced fat cheese will work well - cheddar, jack, pepper jack, or a blend
More Topping Ideas - Pickled jalapeno peppers, hot sauce, salsa, avocado, guacamole, low fat sour cream or plain nonfat Greek yogurt, olives, shredded lettuce or anything else that suits your fancy.
If you like these skinny black bean and cheese nachos, be sure to check out some of my other easy healthy Weight Watchers friendly recipes including WW 2-Ingredient Salsa Chicken, Weight Watchers Taco Soup, Easy Chicken Fajitas, Skinny Slow Cooker Chicken & Pinto Bean Tostadas and Stacked Chicken Enchiladas
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Skinny Cheese & Black Bean Nachos Recipe
Ingredients
- 36 baked low-fat tortilla chips
- 1 cup shredded reduced-free Monterey Jack cheese (I used reduced-fat Pepper Jack cheese)
- 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped (I used grape tomatoes and quartered them)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (I omitted this)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
- Arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer close together on the prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle evenly with the cheese.
- Top with the beans, tomatoes, scallions and jalapeño.
- Baked until heated through and the cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro.
- Serve with lime wedges.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
Nacho Making Tips & Variations:
Different Beans - Use whatever beans you prefer - black, pinto, chili beans, refried beans, etc. With Meat - Chopped cooked chicken or turkey breasts are the obvious zero points choices. Ground turkey or lean beef cooked with taco seasonings or shredded beef or pork would also be delicious. Different Cheese - Any kind of shredded reduced fat cheese will work well - cheddar, jack, pepper jack, or a blend More Topping Ideas - Pickled jalapeno peppers, hot sauce, salsa, avocado, guacamole, low fat sour cream or plain nonfat Greek yogurt, olives, shredded lettuce or anything else that suits your fancy. Click here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site. 7 *SmartPoints (Green plan) 5 *SmartPoints (Blue plan) 5 *SmartPoints (Purple plan) 5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)Source: Weight Watchers Power Foods Cookbook (affiliate link)
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Weight Watchers Friendly Nacho Recipes
- Beef Nachos - made with lean ground beef, diced tomatoes and refried beans (Weight Watchers)
- Skinny Loaded Nachos - made with ground turkey and black bean dip (SkinnyTaste)
- Weight Watchers Take-Out Tonight Nachos Supreme - as yummy as they sound (Culinary Covers)
- 15-Minute Black Bean Nachos - with black bean dip and guacamole (Emily Bites)
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Mary Ann Mulvey
I added left over roast beef. Delicious and easy! Husband approved!
Martha McKinnon
Love the idea of adding leftover roast beef! ~Martha