Balancing the Buttercream with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Nachos

Good morning guys!  I’d like to take a break from our regularly scheduled program today to bring you the newest addition to the balancing the buttercream series.  I’ve had these nachos in my head since September, and with the holiday season upon us, I figured we could all use a little balance.  I don’t know about you, but my holidays look something like this: parties, dinners, drinks, stress, 5,000 batches of cookies, more parties, and so on.  Sound familiar?  I’ve also learned that no matter how many times you dance around your kitchen to T Swift’s 22, you still need to balance all those cookies 😉  So as you can see the timing was just right to test my makeover takeover nachos.

The first step is to roast the butternut squash.  I bought the precut one to make my life easy and also added a red bell pepper for more flavor and color.  Toss everyone with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and send them off to do their thing.

About 20 minutes later, they’ll be looking sweet.  You want the butternut squash to be fork tender, but a few minutes shy of perfectly done because it’s going back in later on with the cheese.  Next up, let’s talk chips.  I’ve used food should taste good multigrain chips and TJ’s quinoa and  black bean infused tortilla chips to make these.  I think the FSTG multigrain chips are really good, but if you’re anything like me you’ll find yourself staring into the bag waiting for more to magically appear – they’re a little stingy.  The TJ’s chips are awesome!  They’re packed with flavor, have a little kick, and you get bang for your buck.

Now, divide your chips among the ramekins and top with butternut squash and peppers.  Then put an ounce of goat cheese in each ramekin.  Break it up and tuck some in between the chips too so you don’t just get the good stuff on top.  I know an ounce doesn’t seen like much,  but once it melts, it’s the perfect amount.  Send everyone back into the oven so the cheese can melt and now prep your avocado and scallions.

Once you take them out of the oven, top them with diced avocado and sprinkle them with scallions. Don’t skip the scallions!  You’ll be surprised just how much they add to the finished dish.  These turned out to be a total win.  The combination of flavors and textures were spot on, and you get to eat nachos without the guilt!  What more could you ever want in life?!  They’re easy to put together, and great for parties. You could do one big dish, but I love the individual ramekins for portion control, plus they’re so cute!  These are a must make, and just think – with more meals like this, you’ll be able to eat more cookies 🙂  And while I’m on the subject of cookies, don’t forget to sign up for my holiday cookie class!  It’s going to be a fun night out, and there’s only a few spots left!  Have a great day!