Posted by Today we’re making a copycat recipe of the Vegan Backlot Nachos from the Studio Catering Co. Truck in California Adventure! This is my favorite meal in DCA, and I’m so excited to share my version of it with you so that you can make it at home. I hope you enjoy! Please tag me on Instagram if you make it and let me know what you think!
I also made a video of this recipe, so here it is if you prefer to watch it being demonstrated as well!
These are the components of the recipe:
- White and Red Tortilla Chips
- Vegan Nacho Cheese (here we’ll use a recipe by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken)
- Vegan Crema (here we’ll use a recipe by Thyme and Love)
- Plant-based Meat (store-bought soyrizo, or tempeh with taco seasoning packet)
- Chopped Green Onions
They use a mix of white and red chips, which I think is supposed to remind you of Marvel. It can a bit difficult to find red chips like that in a grocery store, so just get whatever color chips you like! Mine are just the white chips.
If you have access to any store-bought vegan cheeses or cremas that you like, feel free to use those instead of making them from scratch. But these two recipes that I have linked here are super fast, 15 minutes each, so don’t feel intimidated to make them! All you need is a blender and a saucepan.
Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Making the Nacho Cheese:
Head over to It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken’s Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Nacho Cheese recipe! She also has a Youtube video in which she demonstrates making the recipe. The recipe comes together very quickly if you boil the cashews for 10 minutes instead of soaking them overnight.
Making the Crema:
There are lots of basic cashew crema recipes out there, but I think the one that works best for these nachos is this one from Thyme and Love. Note that the same thing with the cashews applies here – you can either soak them for 4+ hours, or just boil them for 10 minutes. After that, you just put all the ingredients in the blender until they’re smooth, and this one is done!
Making the Plant-based Meat:
Use a store-bought soyrizo of your choice, there are many brands of vegan chorizo! Check the package directions for how to cook it. Usually, it’s just something like: pan-fry it for a few minutes until it reaches your desired doneness.
An alternative version I want to offer you in case you can’t find a vegan chorizo, or in case you just feel like it, is tempeh with a taco seasoning packet!
This is a trick I learned when I first went vegan – you can actually use tempeh with a packet of taco seasoning. Follow the directions on the packet of taco seasoning, but use tempeh when it calls for meat. E.g., start sautéing 1/2 an onion (chopped) in a bit of oil, then crumble a package of tempeh into the pan. Brown for a few minutes, then add the taco seasoning packet and 1/3 cup of water, then simmer and let it reduce/thicken up until it looks done!
Assembling the nachos:
Put down one layer of chips, then cover with a bit of the nacho cheese, crema, and plant-based meat. Then another layer of chips, nacho cheese, crema, plant-based meat, and finally the chopped green onions on top. Then put on your favorite Marvel movie and enjoy!
Your Guide to Vegan Options at Disneyland! 
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