Smoky Party Nachos with Chipotle Sausage and Chao Cheese

Ingredients

For the Cheese Sauce
3 cups cauliflower florets, chopped, (about 1 small)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. sea salt

7 oz pkg. Tomato Cayenne Chao Slices, chopped
2-4 tbsp. water (to thin if necessary)
½ tsp. smoked paprika to the queso sauce

For the Sausage Crumble
2 Field Roast Spicy Mexican Chipotle Plant-Based Sausages
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup sweet onion, finely diced

For the Salsa
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 red pepper, diced 1/4”
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced

2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced
¼ cup pitted black olive, chopped
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

14 oz. bag corn tortilla chips
1 ripe avocado, diced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, stems and leaves chopped
½ cup plant-based sour cream

Preparations

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

For the Cheese Sauce: Steam or boil the cauliflower florets until very tender, about 12 minutes. Drain in a colander. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the cumin, chili and salt and sauté for 3 more minutes. Transfer to a glass measuring cup and keep warm.

Transfer the onions to a powerful blender, along with the hot steamed cauliflower florets and the chopped Chao Creamy Original slices. Puree until velvety smooth, about 1 or 2 minutes. If the sauce seems a little thick, add 2-4 Tbsp. of warm water to thin slightly and puree again for 30 seconds.

For the Sausage Crumble: With clean hands, crumble the Field Roast Spicy Mexican Chipotle Plant-Based Sausages into small even pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the sausage crumble and cook, stirring for 4 minutes until hot and evenly browned.

For the Salsa: In a large bowl, toss together the cherry tomatoes, red pepper, black beans, corn, red onion, jalapenos and olives. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and fresh lime juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

To assemble the fully loaded party nachos, arrange the tortilla chips in an even layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with the chipotle sausage crumble, and the fresh veggie salsa. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot.

To serve, drizzle nachos with 1 cup of the warm cheese sauce. Top with diced avocado and fresh cilantro. Serve with plant-based sour cream and remaining queso sauce on the side for dipping.