Irish Nachos with Corned Beef

Why This is the Best Recipe

I love making baked nachos at home but I think this is the best Irish nachos recipe because:

1. Fun Irish Spin: Instead of using tortilla chips, I love the fun twist of a bag of kettle cooked potato chips for the nacho base. Chopped up deli meat corned beef adds such a unique flavor with no extra work.
2. Awesome Texture: The crunchy kettle chips taste amazing once warmed through in the oven. They are thick and hearty enough to hold up to lots of toppings.
3. Easy Toppings: Delicious nachos are all about the toppings, using easy prepped ingredients cuts the time down to practically nothing!

Ingredients

To make my easy Irish nachos, all you need is:

• Kettle Cooked Potato Chips: These are thicker than regular potato chips and will hold up better to lots of toppings. I used salted chips but you could use salt and vinegar or salt and black pepper flavored chips, too.
• Deli Corned Beef: If you happen to have leftover corned beef from your St. Patrick's day meal, you could use that but I just took the shortcut and bought deli meat and chopped it up. It was perfectly tender and delicious.
• Swiss Cheese: I shredded a brick of Swiss cheese because it melts so much better than pre-shredded bags of cheese. You could take that shortcut if you wanted though.
• Sour Cream
• Pico de Gallo: This diced tomato, onion, and cilantro mix is chunkier than salsa. I bought a prepared tub from the grocery store because it will help keep the nachos crispy without the added moisture salsa brings.
• Green Onions

Prep the Nachos

Place the top rack in your oven 6 inches from the broiler and then pre-heat the broiler.

Set out a large baking sheet and spread the potato chips in an even layer like this:

I ran my brick of Swiss cheese through a food processor to shred it but I do also have a box grater I use to shred cheese, too.

I think hand-shredded cheese just melts so much better on nachos because it doesn't have the anti-caking coating on it like a bag of pre-shredded cheese does.

Spread about 2/3 of the Swiss cheese over the potato chips.

Sprinkle the chopped corned beef evenly over the top.

Then sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cheese over the top of that. This helps "glue" the corned beef onto the nachos but still allows it to peek through for color.

Baking Instructions

Place the pan of Irish nachos under the broiler and cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Keep a close eye on it because they can burn quickly.

Just cook them long enough for the cheese to melt completely and the chips to warm through.

Irish Nacho Toppings

Serve the baked potato chip nachos with dollops of sour cream, a sprinkle of the pico de gallo, and more chopped green onions over the top.

There are several other fun toppings you could choose from if you wanted to play around with some easy variations:

• Thousand Island Dressing: Instead of sour cream, drizzle this over the top.
• Sauerkraut: This vinegary ingredient would make the nachos taste very reuben-like.
• Pickled or Fresh Jalapenos: For a spicy kick.
• Bacon: Crumbled peppered bacon would taste great with the corned beef, too.
• Fresh Chives: For a less onion-y taste, a sprinkle of fresh chives would be a great alternative to the green onions.
• Fresh Cilantro: If you want to use a jarred salsa, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro is a great alternative to the fresh pico.

Prep Ahead Tips

Nachos always taste the best fresh from the oven when they are crispy and warm.

However, you can save time if you prep ahead a few of the ingredients:

1. Chop the Corned Beef: Keep it stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
2. Shred the Swiss Cheese: Shred your own cheese and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
3. Chop the Green Onions: Pre-chop the onions and store them in an airtight container.

With these tasks out of the way, it will take you 5 minutes to assemble and bake the nachos before serving!

Serving Suggestions

It is a great idea to serve these easy Irish nachos as a St. Patrick's Day appetizer before a simple dinner like Irish potato soup or as a movie snack while you watch one of these romantic Irish movies.

They would also be a fun football party appetizer if you're looking for something a little different to take to the potluck party.

12 St. Patrick's Day Dinner Ideas for Kids

35 Easy Football Party Appetizers