Mini Pepper Chicken Nachos

snack is a big plate of tortilla chips, covered in melted cheese, pickled jalapenos, and Trader Joe's salsa. Nachos aren't exactly on his list of foods to eat right now (working on better choices in the land of carbs over here), but I wanted to make him a great Friday night meal that sort of felt like a cheat. Enter these mini pepper chicken nachos. I'll admit that I thought these were the kind of thing that would either be awful or awesome. I almost didn't take the risk. Thankfully, they definitely fell into the 'awesome' category, and even got the highest accolades possible at our table--"amazing". It's true. They are amazing and virtually guilt-free. Plus they are lovely to look at, which never hurts.

Mini Pepper Chicken Nachos
-adapted from heatovento350.com


-1 teaspoon olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-6 green onions, sliced, white parts and green parts separated
-2 cups shredded cooked chicken
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1 cup salsa
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 pound mini bell peppers (these are usually sold by the bag in the produce section near the full-sized bell peppers)
-1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/Monterey jack cheese blend, or whatever kind of cheese you fancy on your nachos
-1/2 cup black olives, sliced
-1/2 large tomato, diced
-1/2 cup cilantro

Heat the oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and the white parts of the green onions and cook and stir 1 minute. Mix in shredded chicken and chili powder. Toss until all ingredients are well coated with chili powder and chicken is warm about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salsa. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice the ends off each mini bell pepper and slice in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and ribs and press each half open so the peppers are as flat as possible. Arrange close together in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over pepper halves. Top with black olives and cheese mixture. Bake nachos for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven, top with tomatoes, cilantro, and remaining green onions. I whipped up some guacamole and served it up next to these babies in addition to extra salsa and sour cream.