Loaded Veggie Nachos -- What I Make When I Need Something Real

Post-roundup week. The ranch has a different rhythm after the work is done — quieter, the main pressure lifted, the cattle settled back on pasture with the bulls pulled and the cows pregnancy-checked and the numbers confirmed. You can breathe after roundup. The ranch breathes too.

I drove out to the Billings horse operation Thursday for my first solo farrier appointment — twelve horses, a mix of quarter horses and one big warmblood who was cranky about his feet. I worked for six hours straight, slower than Tom would have been, but correct. All twelve horses walked out right. The owner, a woman named Debbie who runs a riding school, said she'd book me for February and May. I drove back to Roundup with aching arms and something that felt like the beginning of a professional life.

I've been thinking a lot about what I'm doing with the cooking — not just eating, but the way I use it. The nights when something is off and I need something to do with my hands, I cook. Not elaborate things. Simple things: a steak, a batch of biscuits, a pot of beans. The repetition of it, the required attention, the fact that it produces something real and finite that you can eat — it works in a way I can't fully explain. I'm going to try writing it down. Maybe that's part of the thing I'm building here. I don't know yet.

Gary asked in our Thursday call if I'd thought about what I wanted my life to look like. I said I wanted the ranch. He said, "Good. That's a direction." He said the problem with a lot of guys in recovery is they know what they're running from but not what they're running toward. The ranch is what I'm running toward. The ranch and the work and the boots on in the dark at five AM. That's the direction.

Elk season opens in two weeks. I've been thinking about the elk chili I want to make this year.

The six hours of farrier work in Billings, the drive home, the arms that felt like concrete — that’s the kind of tired that wants something you can build with your hands, layer by layer, something warm and immediate that doesn’t require much thought but still requires attention. I’ve been leaning hard on beans lately, the way they fill a pot and a person both, and nachos let me get all of that in one pan: beans, heat, something to focus on while everything else settles. It’s not the elk chili I’m planning for season, but it’s the same instinct — produce something real and finite that you can eat, and let that be enough for tonight.

Loaded Veggie Nachos

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 22 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 large bag (about 10 oz) tortilla chips
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
• 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned and drained)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
• 1/2 small red onion, diced small
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (seeds removed for less heat)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream, for serving
• 1 avocado, sliced or roughly mashed, for serving
• 1/4 cup fresh salsa or pico de gallo, for serving
• Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
2. Season the beans. In a small bowl, toss the drained black beans with chili powder, cumin, a pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Set aside.
3. Layer the chips. Spread the tortilla chips in an even layer across the prepared baking sheet — a single, slightly overlapping layer holds the toppings better than a deep pile.
4. Add toppings. Scatter the seasoned beans, corn, red bell pepper, red onion, and jalapeño evenly over the chips. Distribute the shredded cheese over everything, making sure each section of chips gets covered.
5. Bake. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10—12 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the edges of the chips are just starting to brown. Watch the corners; they go faster.
6. Finish and serve. Pull the pan from the oven. Dollop sour cream across the top, add the avocado, and spoon salsa over everything. Add cilantro and a squeeze of lime if you want it. Serve directly from the pan while hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 17g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 62g | Fiber: 10g | Sodium: 680mg