Name: Potato Nachos – A Quick and Easy Dinner or Appetizer!
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 4-6 medium/large white or red potatoes, 1/8” thick slices; 2-3 tbsp heat stable cooking fat; 1 lb meat (ground beef, shredded beef or pork, chopped up bacon slices); 2 tsp chili powder – optional (we like to use with ground or shredded beef); 2 cups black beans; 1 cup chopped and cooked veggies (garlic, onions, peppers) – optional; 2-3 cups shredded cheese; Toppings as desired (sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, green onions, salsa)

A twist on traditional loaded nachos, these potato nachos have become a favorite dinner in our meal rotation. Load them up with whatever meat, cheese, veggies, and spices you are craving for a hearty and delicious dinner or appetizer.

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When Life Gives You Potatoes…

We grow a lot of potatoes on our farmstead, well over 500 pounds. And we are constantly finding new recipes to put our potatoes to use!

We love our crinkle cut potatoes, creamy potato soup, and latkes, but who knew there were so many more creative ways to incorporate potatoes into our meals.

With tortilla chips usually cooked in vegetable or seed oils, we rarely ever purchase them. But swapping out those chips with potatoes is a yummy alternative and allows you to be in control of all of the ingredients.

What’s Needed to Make Potato Nachos?

This recipe is more of an outline. Choose your own adventure! Load up your nachos with whatever meat, bean, veggie, cheese, topping combination that your heart desires.

Potatoes – We prefer a red or white potato for making potato nachos. Typically, we use our favorite storage potatoes, the Elba potato, but russets would work as well. The main thing here is that you want a hearty potato that will not fall apart when cooked in thin slices. Sweet potatoes are a great substitute in potato nachos as well!

Cooking Fat – Lard or tallow are our cooking fat of choice, but any heat stable oil would work well for roasting the thinly sliced potatoes.

Meat – Ground beef, bacon, shredded beef or pork, the options are endless! Potato nachos are a great way to repurpose leftover meat. Or if you prefer a vegetarian option, skip the meat altogether and load up on veggies and beans.

Veggies – Diced tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic would all make great toppings. Or skip them all together.

Beans – Black beans are our favorite but kidney beans would be a great substitute, or omit altogether. We grow our own dried black beans or buy them in bulk from Azure Standard.

Cheese – We like to do a combination of shredded cheddar and mozzarella but any sort of shredded, meltable cheese will work well in this recipe.

Seasonings – If we are using ground or shredded beef, I like to add Mexican seasonings like chili powder. If we are making Irish Nachos, with bacon, I stick with minimal seasonings. It’s all totally up to what you like!

Toppings – Sour cream, guacamole, green onions, salsa, diced tomatoes. Serve these potato nachos alongside any or all of the above.

How to Make Potato Nachos

Begin by slicing potatoes in thin, 1/8” thick slices. A mandolin slicer or food processor makes this easy or a sharp knife gets the job done as well.

Lay the potatoes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet with a tbsp or so of melted cooking fat. Sprinkle the potato slices with sea salt. Avoid the temptation to stack potatoes to fit them into 1 pan, make enough pans worth of potatoes to feed your crew. (In our family, that’s 2-3 pans.)

Roast at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare nacho toppings.

Chop and sauté any veggies or meat that need it (I.e. garlic, onion, pepper, ground beef).

Once potatoes are done, remove from oven. Using a spatula, combine potato slices onto on baking sheet.

Top as desired with meat, beans, veggies, and a layer of shredded cheese on top.

Pop the pan back in the oven at 400°F for 10-15 minutes until cheese is nice and melted.

Serve with desired toppings (i.e. sour cream, guacamole, green onions, salsa, diced tomatoes) and enjoy!

Potato Nachos Recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

– 4-6 medium/large white or red potatoes, 1/8” thick slices
– 2-3 tbsp heat stable cooking fat
– 1 lb meat (ground beef, shredded beef or pork, chopped up bacon slices)
– 2 tsp chili powder – optional (we like to use with ground or shredded beef)
– 2 cups black beans
– 1 cup chopped and cooked veggies (garlic, onions, peppers) – optional
– 2-3 cups shredded cheese
– Toppings as desired (sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, green onions, salsa)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Place 1/8” thick slices of potatoes in a SINGLE LAYER on a rimmed baking sheet drizzled with melted cooking fat. Sprinkle sea salt over potato slices and use multiple baking sheets as needed.

3. Bake in 400°F oven for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.

4. While potatoes are cooking, prepare meat and veggies by chopping and sautéing as needed.

5. When potatoes are finished, using a spatula, combine potatoes onto on baking pan, distributed evenly across the pan.

6. Top potatoes with meat, beans, veggies, and lastly cover with a layer of shredded cheese.

7. Return to a 400°F oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

8. Serve potato nachos with desired toppings.

Other potato recipes you’ll love:

Chicken Broccoli Potato Casserole with Cheese
Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup
Potato Crusted Quiche