These Healthy Sheet Pan Nachos have a tender potato base and are topped with black beans, cheese, salsa, and (optional!) greens. They’re easy to prep ahead and are safer for toddlers than regular nachos.
The first time I made sheet pan nachos, it was simply a way to use up the abundance of potatoes that we’d grown in our garden. But I soon realized that this was a meal that everyone in my house loved.
These Sheet Pan Nachos have a nutritious base of potatoes that is less of a choking hazard than tortilla chips but still boasts all the flavor we crave from nachos.
The sliced potato base is soft, tender, and nutritious—which makes it perfect for little kids, and actually makes for an excellent base for the loaded nacho toppings.
Why This Recipe Works
Layering nacho toppings on potatoes deliver flavor, nutrition, and a toddler-safe meal without choking risks. This is an easy dinner for a weeknight or even game day—with super simple clean up.
I love sheet pan meals because the method makes clean up so easy—and I can tuck it into the oven to bake while I tend to/play with the kids.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
To make this healthy Sheet Pan Nachos recipe you’ll need the following ingredients.
- Potatoes: I typically use buttery Yukon Gold potatoes in this recipe since they have a nice texture, but you can really use any medium or small potato. (I don’t love Russet potatoes here since they are sometimes grainy.)
- Beans: You can use black beans or pinto beans in this baked nachos recipe.
- Spices: I love to use taco seasoning such as cumin and chili powder here.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese or any Mexican blend cheese work well here.
- Salsa: Mild salsa, either smooth or chunky, adds nice flavor to this recipe.
- Spinach, optional: We often top a portion of the sheet pan with spinach for an extra veggie. I often put spinach on just one half of the sheet pan so the kids and adults can decide whether or not they want it on their portion.
Featured Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I didn’t have baby potatoes so i was able to quickly parboil the potatoes earlier in the day to speed up prep in the evening. Made the potatoes just perfect texture for our young toddler. I think this is also a nutritional step up from using processed tortilla chips!” —Karissa
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this healthy potato nachos recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
Step 1. Preheat the oven and grease a rimmed sheet pan. Thinly slice baby potatoes. Spread in one layer on the pan and bake.
Step 2. Top with black beans, cumin, chili powder, and salt.
Step 3. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese.
Step 4. Add chopped spinach if you’d like and drizzle with salsa. Bake and serve.
TIP: Serve with any additional taco-style toppings you like.
Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent your way!
Frequently Asked Questions
These are potato slices baked until crispy and piled with toppings like black beans, corn, cheese, salsa, and avocado for a hearty, snack-style meal.
The potatoes are thinly sliced, brushed with oil, seasoned with salt & pepper, and baked until crispy—no frying required.
The recipe includes black beans, shredded cheese, salsa, lettuce, and avocado — and you can add more toppings as your family likes.
Make-Ahead Tips
I love to assemble this healthy Sheet Pan Nachos recipe in the morning, cover it, and stick it in the fridge until dinner. Then all you have to do is warm it in the oven for about 8-10 minutes and dinner is ready! (See the specific info on doing this at the bottom of the recipe.)
Best Tips for Success
- Try to make the potato slices relatively uniform so they cook evenly.
- Use a salsa you like the flavor of—we like mild or medium pureed since the kids don’t like chunks of onions!—and know that you can leave it off of a section if the kids aren’t salsa fans.
- Let the kids eat this with their fingers if they want to—it makes for pretty great finger food for toddlers.
- Add some of the toppings to some of the pan. So do onions or greens on just one portion if you think the kids would prefer a plainer version.
- Try sweet potatoes for another fun option.
- For more sheet pan meals, Tortilla Pizzas and Sheet Pan Quesadillas.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear if you make the recipe so please chime in below in the comments!
Healthy Sheet Pan Nachos
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby potatoes (like new potatoes or baby red potatoes)
- 2-15 ounce cans black beans
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pureed salsa
- 1-2 cups chopped spinach (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a large rimmed baking pan.
- Wash and dry the potatoes. Slice about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick and place into an even layer on the prepared pan. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until soft when poked with a fork.
- Top with beans, cheese, cumin, chili powder, salt, and spinach, if using. Drizzle on the salsa in lines. salsa.
- Place into the oven to heat through and until the cheese is melted, about 5-8 more minutes.
- Serve warm, topped with sour cream or plain yogurt if desired.
Notes
- To store: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight containerfor up to 3 days.
- To make this recipe ahead, prepare through the end of Step 2. Once the pan is cooled slightly, cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for up to 8 hours. Heat in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes to warm through.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in September 2018.
I didn’t have baby potatoes so i was able to quickly parboil the potatoes earlier in the day to speed up prep in the evening. Made the potatoes just perfect texture for our young toddler. I think this is also a nutritional step up from using processed tortilla chips!
Glad to hear that!
These were a huge hit! We added kale and some mango salsa and my kiddos loved them!
We are on a Yummy Toddler kick right now!! Brownies, muffins and most of our dinners!! Loving them all!!
Made these tonight and they were a hit! Served them with more salsa, sour cream and guacamole. Will definitely make them again and might try using sweet potatoes.
These were amazing! I added some peppers and chicken as well. And my toddler loved them. Thank you so much for the idea.
Loved these nachos and so did my 2 year old!
Delicious and easy to make! Thank you!
Excellent!
We love this! Toddler hit. We use sweet potatoes and sometimes swap 1 can of beans for leftover shredded chicken.