A Twist on Junk Food Favorites

cHEESE

By Rachel Ho

It is one of the most popular snack foods in America. It has warm and creamy cheddar cheese sauce dripping over a bed of crunchy tortilla chips. It may be topped with pickled jalapenos if you have a love for spicy foods. You can find it among the crowd of Aggie fans at a rumbling and tumbling baseball game or during a quiet movie night in a theater downtown or at home with family and friends. Did you guess right? Its nachos!

This past Thursday, my roommates and I put on our chef hats to create a more nutritious variation of this American favorite and we succeeded! I present the “Not(so) Nacho Cheese.” Tweaking a recipe by Hot for Food, we created a smooth and silky dip that is low in calories and also free of dairy, nuts, and gluten. This is the recipe for sharing, and the result was amazing – and oh so tasty. It honestly resembles stadium-style Nacho Cheese but only better! Try it yourself!

“Not(so) Nacho Cheese”

Ingredients (makes 1 ½ cups):

1 c peeled, cubed, cooked white potato
½ c peeled, cubed, cooked carrot
¼ c vegetable oil
¼ c soy milk
6 pickled jalapeno slices
3 tbsp of jalapeno pickling liquid
1 ½ tsp potato starch
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp salt

Directions:

Peel, cube, and boil the potatoes and carrots in a pot of water until tender (~10 min). Note: do not cook the potatoes for too long otherwise they will become starchy and your sauce will not be smooth.

Drain potatoes and carrots and add to a high-speed blender.
Add the remaining ingredients to the blender. Combine until smooth.
Pour the vegetable puree into a pot. Heat it on low until smooth and silky.
Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your favorite foods. Explore the taste and versatility of simple ingredients to find healthier alternatives that satisfy both your taste buds and nutritional needs. Try these options at the DC!