Potato Nachos

Potato nachos are just as awesome as they sound: thinly-sliced potatoes are cooked until tender, topped with bacon and cheese, and baked until hot and melted. Perfect game day or any day.

This recipe is as straightforward as it is delicious. You start with large baking potatoes and slice them pretty thinly. You boil them, to allow them to cook through quickly. You know, so you can get to the good stuff.

After boiling, draining, and drying your potato slices, it’s just a matter of adding whatever toppings your heart desires- I usually do cheese, bacon, and jalapeños- and sticking the whole affair in the oven to get cozy.

Potato nachos are a pretty dangerous dish, in my opinion. Back in the day, I was a stay-at-home mom. It was a small block of time, sandwiched between my days as a banker and my current career as a teacher. During that time, I wasn’t limited to a 25 minute lunch break the way I am now. I had all of nap time to dream up and prepare recipes.

We almost always have potatoes around, and I love them in any form. I especially love a good oven-baked potato with crispy skin and plenty of butter and salt. Waiting an hour or more for a potato to bake in the oven didn’t interest me, though, so I made a couple of changes to speed things up and this recipe was born.

I used to make it for lunch, but it would be a perfect game day snack or appetizer, or a side for just about any dinner you make. Potato nachos are easy, they come together quickly, and they’re easily changed to fit the preferences of several different people. It would be no problem at all to allow your family members or your guests to customize their own portions. Include toppings like shredded chicken, onions, or fresh salsa and you can call it a meal.

Potato Nachos

Ingredients

2 large baking potatoes, washed and sliced to about 1/8 inch thickness
shredded cheese
bacon, cooked and diced (or bacon bits)
salt and pepper
other toppings of choice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil over high heat and cook until potatoes are fork tender and mostly translucent (the potatoes will cook as the water heats, so you’ll likely cook them only a few minutes after water reaches a boil). Drain the potatoes and lay them in a single layer on a dish or paper towel. Pat them dry.

On a (foil-lined for easy clean-up) greased baking sheet, lay dry potatoes in a single layer, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add any toppings you’d like. The nutrition facts of this recipe depend largely on the amount of cheese you add, so it’s really up to you whether you want a light dusting or a blizzard.

Bake potato nachos for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and just beginning to bubble. Enjoy while hot.

Looking for more side dishes that can double as meals? Check out twice-baked pimento cheese potatoes or homemade five cheese macaroni and cheese.