Cheesy Nacho Cups For Game Day (Printable Version)

Crispy tortilla cups loaded with melted cheese and zesty Tex-Mex toppings, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Base & Cheese

01 - 12 round tortilla chips (scoop-style or similar)
02 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
03 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Toppings

04 - 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
05 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
06 - 1/4 cup sliced black olives
07 - 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
08 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
09 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

→ Garnishes

10 - 1/4 cup sour cream
11 - Salsa or guacamole, for serving (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - Arrange tortilla chips in a mini muffin tin, forming cup shapes with one chip per cup.
03 - Sprinkle both shredded cheeses evenly into each chip cup.
04 - Distribute black beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, jalapeño slices if using, and red onion on top of the cheese in each cup.
05 - Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
06 - Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes.
07 - Top each cup with a small dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
08 - Serve warm with salsa or guacamole on the side, if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • Each cup delivers that perfect cheese-to-topping ratio in a single bite
  • They're handheld mess-free nachos that keep your fingers clean during the big play
  • You can prep everything ahead and bake them right when guests arrive
02 -
  • Overfilling the cups leads to toppings spilling onto the muffin tin and burning—keep everything contained within the chip edges
  • Letting them cool for those crucial 2 minutes prevents the cheese from sliding out when you try to remove them from the tin
  • Room temperature sour cream drizzles better than cold straight from the fridge
03 -
  • If your tortilla chips are thin or fragile, double them up by stacking two chips in each muffin cup for extra structural integrity
  • The cups release most easily when slightly warm—if they stick, run a thin knife around the edge and gently twist

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