Pulled Pork Nachos with Pumpkin Chipotle Queso, Butternut Squash, and Crispy Sage

Loaded nachos are probably one of my favorite things to eat ever. I decided to continue my love of savory pumpkin recipes, and combine it with a game day recipe! And it’s fall inspired too, of course. I absolutely love to cook seasonally. It’s the best! I bet you can’t guess which season is my favorite (definitely haven’t drilled it into your heads)..

If I could have a date with these nachos every weekend while watching a movie, football, or just plain old sitting around by a fire, I’d be the happiest girl. They are absolutely loaded with SO many good things!

We’ve got roasted butternut squash (I go crazy for it this time of year), pumpkin chipotle cheddar QUESO (!!), pulled pork (no explanation needed), and crispy fried sage! Which I have a problem with putting on everything this time of year. Exhibit A and B, just to name a couple.

This queso is so delicious and thick from the canned pumpkin. It adds the slightest pumpkin taste which balances perfectly with the smoky chipotle. And cheddar just makes everything better. Ooey gooey perfection.

It’s super simple to make too. You just sauté onion with a little butter and a little sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo, and then add half and half, cornstarch to thicken, pumpkin, and cheddar! And you’re well on your way to cheesy, melty goodness in no time. I could just eat that with chips and be perfectly happy. But we have to add the rest of the goods!

I used pulled pork here because I had some left over and I love it so much, but you could totally use pulled chicken, ground beef, or even ground turkey. It’s all going to be delish! They key is to make these as simple as possible so we can get to eating!

I finished them off with a little extra adobo sauce mixed with half and half to make it easy to drizzle, crispy sage of course, and cilantro. You will not believe the flavor combo here.

Serve these up with pumpkin beer and you’ve got one heck of a party appetizer! Or dinner… 🙂

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Pulled Pork Nachos with Pumpkin Chipotle Queso, Butternut Squash, and Crispy Sage

These fall inspired nachos are topped with a super quick and delicious pumpkin chipotle queso, roasted butternut squash, pulled pork, and crispy fried sage!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo) + extra for drizzling
• 1 1/2 cups half and half + 1-2 tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, freshly grated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10-12 sage leaves
• 9 ounce bag of your favorite tortilla chips
• 2 cups pulled pork, heated
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment and add the butternut squash. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender.

2. Make the queso. In a medium saucepan, add one tablespoon of butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add the onion and adobo sauce and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the half and half and cornstarch, whisking to combine. Raise heat to high and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce to medium and whisk in the pumpkin and salt until smooth. Gradually add the cheese, stirring until completely melted and smooth. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.

3. Fry the sage leaves. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Once bubbling, add the sage leaves and fry for 30 seconds to one minute until crispy. Let drain on paper towels.

4. To assemble nachos, lay chips on a platter and top with pulled pork, butternut squash, spoonfuls of queso (you likely won't use it all), fried sage leaves, chopped cilantro, and a drizzle of adobo sauce mixed with a little half and half to thin (if desired).