School Night Sheet Pan Nachos

Posted September 4, 2025 by Prairie Wife -

Do you have a go to desperation recipe?! A meal that you can pick when you have no idea what to make, and you KNOW everyone will love it, and you have everything you need to make it? School Night Sheet Pan Nachos have become that meal for me!

It’s one of those recipes that is easy to adapt to fit your family’s personal preferences. I’ll provide the basics below, and then in the Ingredients list, add a variety of add-ons so you can customize the recipe for your family or what you already have at home. This is also an easy recipe to double and use for your next football party!

Don’t forget that if you have some family members who don’t like spicy ingredients, you can put the zesty toppings on only half of the chips!

School Night Sheet Pan Nachos
Prep Time: 15 min Bake Time: 8-15 Minutes Serves: 6

Ingredients
1 1/2 Pounds Ground Meat (we use Elk or Beef) OR 3 Chicken Breasts
1 large bag of Tortilla Chips
3 Cups of Shredded Cheese
2 Cups of Shredded Lettuce
1 Cup of Chopped Tomatoes
Add Ons
Jalapenos
Black Olives
Sour Cream
Hot Sauce
Onions
Salsa
Corn
Guacamole
Chili
Chopped Bell Peppers

1. Set oven to 375
2. Cook the meat thoroughly. If cooking the chicken, chop or shred it.
3. Spray a large sheet pan with non-stick spray
4. Spread the chips evenly over the pan
5. Cover the chips evenly with the cooked meat
6. Top with cheese and any other ingredients that you will want cooked a bit (peppers, onions, chili, refried beans)
7. Bake until the cheese is all the way melted
8. Top with remaining ingredients and serve hot

I know some of you may suggest lining the sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up…but for me, I always feel like the nachos end up sticking to it. That’s why I use a non-stick cooking spray instead.

NOTE: Make it Vegetarian by substituting Refried Beans for the meat

If you want more easy meals, check out my two-week meal plan!

Categories: Recipes, This and That

Tags: , Easy Recipe, large family meals, party food, school night meals, sheet pan meals, sheet pan nachos, vegetarian recipes