Irish Nachos

In the land of chips covered with melty cheese, otherwise known as ‘nacho land,’ I just don’t think the boundaries are spread wide enough. We shouldn’t relegate ‘nachos’ to just be tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream. While that combination is delicious (and one of our favourite Friday night dinners—make it on a large sheet pan for a crowd), I wanted to move beyond the border.

And that’s exactly how we landed at ‘Irish nachos.’ I topped potatoes with my favourite Kerrygold Cheese (Aged cheddar—I got through 2 packages a week if you didn’t know!), plain Greek yoghurt, bacon crumbles, and sliced green scallions. It is delicious. It tastes like my favourite twice-baked potato but is even better because it’s not one million degrees when it comes out of the oven, forcing me to wait an unreasonable amount of time before consuming. I can eat Irish nachos right out of the oven, well, after only a few minutes of cooling time. - Christina Lane

1. First, preheat the oven to 400.
2. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick foil, and spray it with cooking spray.
3. Wash and dry the potatoes, and using a mandolin or a sharp knife, cut them into very thin slices (about 1/4” each).
4. Place the potato slices in a bowl, and toss with the olive oil and melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Arrange the potato slices not touching on the sheet pan, and roast for 10 minutes.
6. Flip the potatoes, and roast for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown and starting to turn crispy. )An additional 5-8 minutes may be necessary if you don’t have a super hot gas oven like me!)
7. Remove the potatoes from the sheet pan, and let them cool on a wire rack (this helps them crisp up).
8. Meanwhile, wrap the bacon in a few layers of paper towels, place on a plate, and microwave for 1 minute.
9. Flip the bacon and microwave another 30 seconds, or until almost crispy (it will crisp as it cools).
10. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
11. To assemble: layer the potato slices on one large plate (if sharing) or two smaller plates.
12. Top with grated cheese and bacon.
13. Microwave for just a few seconds to start melting the cheese.
14. Top with yoghurt and scallions (if using), and then serve immediately.