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Ponachos – Vegan Potato Nachos with Chipotle Nacho Cheeze Sauce & Cumin Black Beans

by 42 Comments

I have been making nachos using air fried potatoes for quite some time and I was calling them potato nachos. Then I watched the Game Changers movie and learned a new name for them Ponachos! This is my version of healthy SOS Free (salt, oil & sugar) plant based vegan nachos now lovingly called ponachos. The based is oil free air fried potatoes instead of chips. Then I top them with my favorite home cooked seasoned black beans and my never before published Vegan Chipotle Cheeze Sauce!

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I make them a little different depending on what I have on hand. This one has Air Fried Smashed Potatoes, Cumin Black Beans – recipe below, Corn, Vegan Chipotle Cheeze Sauce – recipe below, green onions, fresh cilantro and chopped tomatoes. Ole! You could also use the Chili Taco Lentils or the Taco Lentils in the pressure cooker recipe from my Mexican Fiesta Cooking Webinar. Tami’s Easy Red Salsa is a nice touch as well as the Easy Salsa Verde. When you make your own salsa you can control the amount of salt, sugar and heat!

First make a batch of my Cumin Black Beans – recipe below. This recipe also works well with pinto beans. While the beans are cooking make a batch of the Chipotle Cheeze Sauce – recipe below and salsa if you wish. Slice some green onions, chop fresh cilantro and dice some tomatoes.

In this video we show you how to make our favorite Cumin Black Beans in our Mealthy 2.0 6 QT Electric Pressure Cooker and we share for the first time Tami’s new Chipotle Nacho Cheeze Sauce recipe!

When your toppings are ready prepare a batch of Oil Free Air Fried Smashed Potatoes.

Top with all your favorite nachos toppings and you have yourself a scrumptious plate of Ponachos!

Tami Kramer Nutmeg Notebook

Cumin Black Beans – Pressure Cooker

5 from 1 vote
These Cumin Black Beans have way more flavor than any canned beans you buy. They are super easy to make and economical too! A 1 pound bag of dried beans is pretty inexpensive. Once cooked these beans can be put into freezer bags or freezer containers and frozen for future use. We usually eat them all before that happens. This recipe also works well with pinto beans.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound dried black beans (or pinto beans) rinsed with cold water and any broken beans or pebbles tossed out
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Table Tasty salt substitute or salt substitute of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh jalapeno pepper minced, optional or 1/4 tsp jalapeno powder
  • 6 1/2 cups water
Optional
  • 1 each juice of 1 lime added after the beans are cooked

Equipment

  • Electric Pressure Cooker

Method
 

  1. Combine all ingredients except lime juice in electric pressure cooker, set timer for 45 minutes,high pressue, natural pressure release. When beans are done cooking, add the juice of 1 lime if desired.
Slow Cooker Method
  1. Place all ingredients except lime juice in a slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours or until beans are tender. Mine took about 4 hours. Add lime juice if desired and stir. Leftover beans can be frozen in freezer bags or freezer safe containers for future use.
Storing
  1. Store in the refrigerator and eat with in 3-5 days. Beans may be frozen in freezer bags or freezer safe containers.
Variation
  1. This recipe works well with pinto beans too.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

The Chipotle Nacho Cheeze Sauce is delicious on vegetables – drizzle it on corn on the cob. It is amazing! See our video on How To Make Corn on the Cob in a pressure cooker.

Tami Kramer Nutmeg Notebook

Chipotle Nacho Cheese Sauce

5 from 7 votes
This creamy nacho cheeze sauce is super simple to make but big on flavor. You can cut back on the chipotle powder and jalapeno powder to control the heat if desired.
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Servings: 10
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Cooked potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) OR butternut squash – peeled, microwaved, boiled or steamed
  • 1 cup Cooked carrots – peeled – microwaved, boiled or steamed
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder – or to taste – cut back if you don't like spicy
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon jalapeno powder or to taste or use a fresh jalapeno optional
Optional
  • 1 tsp mild miso – a rounded teaspoon full
  • 3 Tbls canned mild green chilies

Equipment

  • High Powered Blender

Method
 

  1. Put all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and creamy. If you blend it long enough in a Vitamix or Blendtec blender it will get nice and hot!
  2. If using the optional miso paste – add it to the blender, After blending add the optional canned green chilies and just stir them in.
  3. This sauce does firm up when refrigerated and if it gets too thick thin it with some unsweetened plant milk or water when reheating to make it pourable again.
  4. Keep it refrigerated – it will last for 5-6 days. The sauce does get thicker when refrigerated so when reheating you can add a little water or unsweetened plant milk and heat it up in the microwave on 50% power to heat it up gently. Or put it in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring while it heats up. Use a wire whisk to help make it smooth and creamy.
    I haven't tried freezing it myself but subscribers tell us they have frozen it with it success. If it separates when thawed just put it in the blender to make it all smooth and creamy again.

Notes

Optional Variation: Use 3 cups cooked butternut squash instead of the potatoes and carrots. I like to use oven roasted butternut squash by cutting a whole squash in half, scooping out the seeds. Then turn it cut side down on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until soft. How long will depend on the size of the squash. Let cool and measure out 3 level cups of squash to use in place of the potatoes and carrots. 

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We are also Holland Bowl Mill Affiliates. The 15 inch Holland Bowl Mill Cherry fruit bowl has a permanent home on our kitchen island. It’s beautiful and useful. The heart shaped bowl makes me happy – I love everything heart shaped! We use our 15 inch Beechwood & cherry bowl (his and her’s) to chop our salads everyday. Eating a salad for one meal every day helped me lose weight and become a size 4. I still eat a salad for one meal a day but now it’s a Big Beautiful Chopped salad and it helps me stay a size 4! See the Chopped Salad Blog Post to find out how you can incorporate a chopped salad into your daily food plan and how you can get a free mezzaluna knife with your Holland Bowl order when you use our Holland Bowl Mill Affiliate Link as well as free engraving and free shipping.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve been watching many of your YouTube videos and love your warm, personable, and informative presentations. You make everything sound so doable, even for us seniors. Can’t wait to try these ponatchos.

    Reply

    • Hi Linda, thank you for watching and for commenting! We appreaciate your kindness and encouragement!

      Happy cooking,

      Tami

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Hi Tami & Tom,
    Hello from the central valley! The ponachos are delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe. My husband and I are WFPB and I have learned such helpful tips from your YouTube channel and website. We have enjoyed every recipe we have tried from Nutmeg Notebook. We, like you and Tom, are big fans of Mexican food. I truly appreciate the time and effort that you are putting into your channel and blog. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hello Hope,

      I am so glad you liked this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to let us know you are watching the vidoes and trying the recipes.
      It makes us so happy to get encouraging comments.

      Happy Cooking,

      Tami

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Hi Tami!
    Thanks so much for sharing your recipe with us. It looks so good! I’m going to try and make it this week and I will comment again after making it. I just love your videos and look forward to them every Sunday, You and Tom make me smile!! Oh and I am the one that asked you about which 2 cookbooks you liked best because I was getting Chef AJ’s Ultimate Weight-loss book and I am brand new to this WFPB lifestyle and need lots of recipes.
    Thank you again,
    Maria

    Reply

    • Hi Maria,

      I am glad you saw the video and my cookbook recommendations! Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

      Happy Cooking,

      Tami

      Reply

  5. Tami, although I am a life-long cook, I have learned so much from you! I know you receive criticism about your use of so much plastic and expensive products, but I am not here to judge you. But I wonder if you could do a couple of videos for those of us who prefer to not use plastic and do not have these appliances or special bowls? I would appreciate that so much, as would my plant-based group here in Virginia, who all try to avoid waste in packaging as well as food waste. Many thanks for your warm-hearted, practical approach to every day cooking with plants.

    Reply

    • Hi Tessa,

      Thank you for your comments and requests and for following us. I do get some criticism for buying produce that comes in plastic but it’s the only affordable way to buy the quantity we buy here in Northern CA on a retirement budget. Do I wish it was different – of course I do,but it is what it is for now. I can not afford to buy our produce at the local farmer’s market as the organic growers prices are too steep for me. So having said that I am not sure what you are asking me to do differently in regards to “plastic” as my way of purchasing produce isn’t going to change. If you choose not to use plastic containers in your home you can still use the information I share about batch cooking and store the food in your choice of non plastic containers. I have not found a reasonable alternative to my plastic salad containers or my freezer containers.

      Regarding the wood chopping bowl for chopped salads I understand completely that not everyone can purchase one of them. We use our wood chopping bowl everyday and make our salads in it so that is why I share that everyday because that is real life for us. Perhaps you missed the video we made on how to chop a salad without a wood bowl. I share 3 different ways to make a chopped salad without buying a wood bowl.Here is a link for you to watch the video; https://youtu.be/9u8uYFWZGK4

      I know I am priveleged to have the wonderful array of small kitchen appliances,tools and gadgets that I have aquired over a long period of time. I have said time and time again that you don’t need any special equipment to eat this way – it can be done with a bare bones kitchen for sure. Since I have these appliances and gadgets they are what I use to cook with and what I use to develope my recipes. The electric pressure cookers, Vitamix blender and air fryer make my batch cooking and my SOS free food so much easier to prepare and delicious. I don’t have time to test recipes using different cooking methods such as the stove top or a slow cooker verses an electric pressure cooker. Or an oven verses an air fryer. As it is I test recipes multiple times before I publish them to make sure the ingredients and method I am using is perfected so people are not waisting ingredients or their time trying my recipes. I can not offer cooking times or adjust the recipes to adapt to other cooking methods without having tried it myself but people are more than welcome to try different methods and adapt the recipes as they see fit. I hope you can understand why I can’t test the same recipe using multiple other methods.

      We know we can’t serve the needs of everyone who is plant based. We simply share what works for us and how we make this lifestyle work. We don’t believe there is a “one way fits all” on how to make this lifestyle work. We do think people can get ideas from us that they can apply to their own food prep and leave behind the things they don’t like or need. As it is we spend a great deal of our time creating the content that we share for free as our way of passing it forward. There may be other plant based bloggers and YouTubers who have a more budget friendly or no frills or no appliances niche but that isn’t what we do because we share how we actually live this lifestyle.

      For the Ponachos you can make fries however you make them without an air fryer and use them as your base. If you don’t have a high powered blender you can try making the cheeze sauce however you make sauces that need to be smooth and creamy. I don’t have an alternative method to using a blender.

      Happy Cooking,

      Tami

      Reply

      • 5 stars
        Tami, Gordon and I also are new to the WFPB world and we don’t have some of the gadgets – yet. (I love gadgets) I have a pressure cooker that stayed in the box 4 months before I started watching your show – it’s one of the best purchases I’ve made. Your response above is heartfelt and kind. Thanks for all you do. I’ve been trying your recipes and they’re all fabulous!

        Reply

        • Hi Betty,

          Welcome to the wonderful world of plants! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a comment. We love to get feedback and are delighted that you are enjoying the recipes and that we can play a small part in your plant based journey. Thank goodness you got your pressure cooker out of the box and started using it – bravo to you!

          Happy Cooking,

          Tami

          Reply

        • Hi Betty,

          I am so glad you finally got your pressure cooker out of the box! You are not alone many people are intimidated by a pressure cooker – I was too!
          Thank you for your kind comments – it is positive feedback like yours that motivates us to keep doing what we are doing.
          Wishing you well on your plant based journey.

          Happy Cooking,
          Tami

          Reply

      • Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. I think your ideas are so valuable that I will go through them and try to adjust for people in my plant based group who don’t use plastic or do not have machines. I do have the instant pot and enjoy using it daily. We are in a rural area with gardens so that is certainly an alternative to buying frozen food in plastic. My problem has been that when I present some of your videos, they immediately disregard them when they see the machines and the plastic! For our next meeting, I am going to present links to videos that can be easily followed and made without either a lot of frozen food or expensive machines. Your salads are indeed a perfect way to start but I have found many others, including your recent brownie recipe. I hope you will have dozens of new followers once I send out the links. Many thanks for everything you do.

        Reply

        • I continued to be mistified about this because I use very little frozen food to make my recipes – they are made mostly with fresh ingredients. What plastic are they objecting to?

          Your group might be interested in my video on how to make simple meals.

          https://youtu.be/Y0dnS5-OKD4

          Take care,
          Tami

          Reply

  6. 5 stars
    My husband joined me watching and we enjoyed your live cooking. We will try to join you guys live next Sunday. You are a very lovely couple. God bless, From North Pole, Alaska

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Made this amazing sauce for dinner with some smashed potatoes and it is awesome! Thanks for sharing your recipes with us 😊

    Reply

  8. I made the cheese sauce yesterday! I love it! It is the best cheese sauce I have tasted so far. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Hi Allison,

      This makes me so happy!

      Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.

      Happy Cooking,

      Tami

      Reply

  9. I cook organic dry beans of all kinds for 50 mins. in the instant pot. I never measure, just throw them in after rinsing and cover with an inch of water. Perfect every time!

    Reply

  10. Hi Tami, We just had Ponachos for dinner and they were delicious and very filling. I have one question though. My beans were very watery when they finished cooking. I used my Instant Pot and the natural release setting. Just wondering if they are supposed to be watery. I will drain them before freezing.

    On another note, I just want to thank you for letting your listeners know about the Vidalia Chop Wizard. It is the single best kitchen gadget I have bought in a long time. I told my husband, who does all the chopping, that if the chopper broke in 6 months, we would buy another one. He said if it broke tomorrow, we would be getting another one. LOL. I have bought one for each of my sons.

    Reply

  11. The Best cheese sauce I’ve made so far. So flavourful in my mac n cheese and also on a bagel.
    Happy to be following you for delicious recipes and inspiration!
    Thank you.

    Reply

  12. The potatoes and carrots are boiling right now. I didn’t have any old-fashioned oats. I took steel cut oats and threw them in the vita mix. Fingers crossed that works. I’ll let you know how it all goes. I’ve been looking at this recipe for quite a while and finally decided to make it today. I’m hoping it becomes a family favorite.

    Reply

  13. Hi Tami
    I love watching your videos with Tom and reading your blog posts.
    I’m a new subscriber and vegan after being vegetarian for most of my life.
    As I’m new to electric pressure cooking I would like to check the timing you have in the black bean recipe Cumin Black Beans – Pressure Cooker
    The Bean Pressure Cooking time I have seen on Bean Pressure Cooking Times is listed is 23 minutes for dry beans and 6 minutes for pre soaked beans. Is there something I am missing in the information?
    As Im watching your videos in Australia and are now keen to get some recipe books do you have any favourites using pressure cooking.
    Thanks very much for all the time and effort you put in to all your blogs and videos and generously share with your followers. I’m so pleased I saw your website and details from ChefAJ .
    Tami it’s due to you and Tom and all that you are doing online that will help many people improve their health and wellbeing.
    Best wishes from a fan in Australia. Stay safe and well

    Reply

    • Hi Tiffany,

      I don’t soak my beans and I have never found them to be done enough for me with the shorter cooking times even though that is what the books say. I prefer the longer cooking time, I like the beans to be very tender. Try your time with my ingredients and if you are happy with the results that is awesome.

      You can check out Vegan Under Pressure and Great Vegetarian Pressure Cooking cookbooks. They are not SOS free – salt, oil and sugar free so just skip those ingredients if you are following an SOS free lifestyle.

      Thank you for your kind comments – we are happy that you found us!

      Happy Cooking,

      Tami

      Reply

  15. I love this recipe!!! The sauce is really yummy. I even froze some of it, then just defrosted it and heated it up in a pan with some soy milk. Love it!!!

    Reply

  16. I have watched many of your videos and have make your muffins and ponachos and plan to make much more. I would like to know how you reheat the air-fried smashed potatoes or French fries, please. I believe it was May when I started whole food plant based cooking, as I had researched a lot, saw YouTube talks, ordered books, (mainly cookbooks, & including Chef AJ’s Ultimate Weight Loss). Thank you for all you and Tom do! I feel like you are a friend, as I don’t have anyone in my life whole eats this way (besides my husband, who has been mostly compliant with WFPB since I started). But I am doing quite well on the new lifestyle. Thanks, again!

    Reply

    • I don’t batch prep the smashed potatoes but if you have you can reheat them in the air fryer until hot and crispy again.

      Reply

  17. 5 stars
    I made the ponachos tonight! Delicious! And super easy especially if you already batch cooked potatoes at cetera. I also made your EZ salsa because I didn’t have fresh veggies and it was very good! I had another cheese sauce in the refrigerator. all in all the recipe was excellent! And I will definitely make it again and again and again and again LOL
    Thanks for sharing all of your hard work by giving us these recipes to follow!

    Reply

    • Hi Nora,

      I am so glad you enjoyed the Ponachos. That is a favorite recipe of mine and an easy go to meal when you want those Southwest/Mexican flavors.

      Be sure to check out YouTube Channel and join us on Sundays on YouTube for our Live Show at 4:00 PM Pacific time.

      Happy Cooking,

      Tami

      Reply

  18. Hi Tami,
    I love your website.
    I watched your video regarding the Mexican salad with tortilla chips and chipotle cheese sauce. I can’t find the recipe with the measurements. I’m wondering when you have a moment if you could tell me where it is located. I thought I found it once but gave recipes for the salsa, beans and cheese sauce but the the measurements for the other ingredients such as groats, corn, salsa, onion and cilantro were not there. I’m not very good st guessing. It looks so delicious that I would hate to mess the salad up.
    Thank you so much for all that you and Tom do for all of us. Your truly appreciated.
    Sharry

    Reply

    • I’m glad you enjoy the information we share. We don’t have specific amounts for the salads or ponachos. It really depends on how hungry you are and your personal preferences. I never measure I just use the amount that I think will fill me up. You could Start with 1/4 c of each ingredient and go up from there I guess. But it’s really personal preference and what tastes good to you. There is no right or wrong amount. Here is the link to the Mexican Salad post. http://nutmegnotebook.com/posts/mexican-chopped-salad-with-crispy-tortilla-strips/

      Happy Cooking.

      Reply

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