[1] Irish-style potato nachos (photo © Irish Potato Commission).

[2] Clockwise: horseradish root, prepared horseradish (made with vinegar and salt) and grated horseradish (photo © Microplane).

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?

If you’d like a special bite to serve with beer and Irish whiskey, try these Irish-Style Potato Nachos.

This recipe was created by Patterson Watkins, a Philadelphia catering manager, for the Idaho Potato Commission, using homemade crinkle-cut potato chips instead of tortilla chips.

Instead of grated queso quesadilla, salsa, and other classic nacho toppings*, this recipe nods to Ireland with Irish cheddar and corned beef†.

And of course, make that beer an Irish beer!
 
 
RECIPE: IRISH-STYLE POTATO NACHOS

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F.

2. DEEP FRY Deep fry the waffle cut potatoes until crisp. Set aside to drain on paper towels.

3. ARRANGE the chips on a sheet pan and sprinkle the cheese, corned beef and horseradish evenly on each piece. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

4. ARRANGE the bites on a platter, drizzle truffle oil and garnish with chopped chives. Serve hot.
 
 
> NACHOS HISTORY

*Mexican restaurants often use queso quesadilla, a great Mexican melting cheese. But other restaurants and home cooks making classic nachos use Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and cheeses we never use but they have their fans, American cheese and Velveeta.

Other nacho toppings include black olives, cilantro, jalapeno slices, refried beans and sour cream (crema mexicana). See more toppings here.

†Corned beef is not an Irish dish. Irish immigrants to New York learned to make corned beef from their Jewish neighbors on New York’s Lower East Side. The brisket used was a cheaper alternative to Irish bacon, and led to the now-traditional Irish-American combination, corned beef and cabbage.

Corning refers to curing or pickling the meat in a seasoned brine. The word refers to the “corns” or grains of kosher (or other coarse) salt that is mixed with water to make the brine. Typically, brisket is used to make corned beef; but round can also be used. The dish has many regional variations and seasonings. Smoking a corned beef, and adding extra spices, produces pastrami.