Forget green beer and overcrowded parades, St.Patrick's Day is now all about the Irish Nachos Cheese Fries! Loaded with sharp Irish cheddar, all the fixins', and dunked in creamy cool ranch dressing, these loaded fries are cheesy, salty, greasy, and glorious and are a party all in themselves.
Which would you rather have on St. Patrick's Day? Loaded Irish Nachos Cheese Fries or soggy Corned Beef and Cabbage?
I'll wait.
Hopefully, you went with the Irish Nachos Cheese Fries, and guess what! These fries can be eaten year-round, not just for Irish holidays.
Eat them as a stand-alone meal or make everyone in your family a Big Mac Bowl served with a big platter of these fries. If you do that, I promise your family will love you forever and ever amen.
Irish Nachos
What are Irish nachos? Irish nachos are just regular old nachos that use some form of potatoes as your base instead of tortilla chips.
What kind of potatoes can I use for Irish Nachos? That's totally up to you! Tater tots, kettle chips, waffle fries, regular potato chips, sweet potato fries or old fashioned, hand-cut fries like I'm showing you today all work well.
Do I really need to soak the potatoes in cold water before I cook them? Soaking the potatoes removes extra potato starch and sugars, prevents them from sticking to the pan, and helps the potatoes achieve maximum crispiness. If you want the best outcome for your fries. DO NOT SKIP SOAKING THEM. Now, to save time, you can always cut the potatoes and pre-soak them up to 24 hours in advance.
Can I freeze the fries after I cut them? Yes! Cut the fries, soak them, pat them dry, and spread them in an even layer on your baking sheet. Pop them in the freezer for about an hour then pop them into freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Are Irish Nachos really Irish? Uuuum, that's probably a big fat negative; however, they are on the menu of every Irish pub across the US so that makes them Irish fare to me.
How Do You Make
Irish Nachos Cheese Fries?
To make *THE BEST* Irish Nachos Cheese Fries you *MUST* use hand-cut fries. You just gotta. Of course, if you want, you can use frozen french fries or tater tots, they'll suffice in a pinch or when you don't have extra time, but they ain't gonna beat hand-cut.
To cut the potatoes into french fries:
- Cut off each end of the potato.
- Turn the potato lengthwise and cut the potato into 4-6 sections.
- Stack the slices, turn them vertically, then slice them into long strips.
- Soak the fries in cold water for 15 minutes.
- Thoroughly dry, drizzle w/ bacon fat and seasonings, and bake til brown.
- Top with shredded Irish cheddar and bacon, broil til bubbly, then top w/ your favorite nacho toppings before chowing down.
- Don't forget the Wingstop Ranch Recipe! You're not living if you've never dipped cheese fries in homemade ranch dressing.
Irish Nachos Cheese Fries
Equipment
- Large Baking Sheets
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Idaho or Russet potatoes, washed
- ½ lb uncured bacon
- 2 tablespoon bacon grease + 1 tablespoon olive oil if needed
- ¼ teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
- salt & pepper to taste
- 8 oz Irish cheddar cheese
- Irish Nachos toppings: sliced sliced cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, red onions, and scallions
- Ranch dressing, for dipping
Instructions
How to Make Irish Nacho Cheese Fries:
- Line a large plate with paper towels, line one large baking sheet w/ parchment paper, and fill one large bowl with cold tap water. Set aside.
- Cut potatoes lengthwise into 4-6 sections (depending on desired thickness). Stack the slices, turn them vertically, then slice them into thin strips. Immediately place cut fries into the bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 10-15 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the water, and dry very well.
- Add to the clean baking sheet, toss w/ the reserved bacon fat, and seasonings, and spread in an even layer on the pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, stir and flip to ensure even browning, then continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until evenly golden brown. Change the temperature to broil.
- Top the oven fries w/ the shredded Irish cheddar cheese and bacon, and put back into the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Top w/ cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, and scallions and serve immediately w/ a side of ranch for dipping.
Want More Fries Recipes?
Feeling like putting that fry daddy to good use? Try out some of these amazing recipes too!
Loaded Cheeseburger Fries
Baked Greek Feta Fries
Pesto Chicken Fries
Traeger Poutine w/ Beef Tips
Loaded French Fry Breakfast Casserole
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