Recipe: Potato-Skin Nachos With Queso
The game-day favorite gets a Tex-Mex spin with queso and avocado
Crisp potato skins filled with bubbling cheese and bacon, then smothered in sour cream, may be as important to game day as the game itself. But we found a way to make them the MVP of your spread: Turn them into Tex-Mex nachos by covering them in queso, mashed avocado, sour cream and pickled jalapeños.
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Since you are going to the trouble of baking the potatoes for the skins, save the flesh and make mashed potatoes. Then, when you broil the potato skins, keep a close eye, because they can burn easily.
To learn more, read "Snacks vs. Skins."
Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Potato-Skin Nachos with Queso
Combine two of your favorite bar snacks and serve them with a side of queso.
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
1.08
hours
servings
6
to 8 servings
Total time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Ingredients
- :::For the Potato Skins:6 medium (4 pounds) Idaho potatoes:::
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- :::For the Queso:2 tablespoons unsalted butter:::
- ¼ cup finely diced white onion
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½ jalapeño—stemmed, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons, milk
- 1 vine-ripe tomato, stemmed and diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Monterey Jack cheese
- For the Potato-Skin Nachos
- 1 avocado, halved and pitted
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- ½ cup (2 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (2 ounces) grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- Sour cream, for garnish
- Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
- Chopped romaine lettuce, for garnish
- Roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish
- Sliced pickled jalapeños, for garnish
- Diced tomato, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400º. With a sharp knife, pierce each potato in a few spots and place onto a baking sheet. Bake until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and the skins are crisp, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool and set the oven to broil.
- Slice each potato in half lengthwise and, using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving about ¼ inch intact. Reserve the potato flesh for another use. Brush both sides of each potato skin liberally with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Place each potato half, skin-side up, onto a baking sheet and broil until crisp and golden, 5 minutes. Flip each potato and broil until the edges begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Make the queso: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeño, and cook until soft, 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook another 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cilantro. Slowly mix in the grated cheeses in 3 batches, making sure the cheese is well incorporated before adding more. Keep warm.
- Assemble the potato skin nachos: In a small bowl, roughly mash the avocado with the lime juice and season with salt and pepper, then set aside. Top each potato skin with the cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and crumbled bacon, and broil until the cheese is bubbling and golden, 2 minutes.
- Transfer the potato skins to a platter and drizzle with half of the queso. Spoon the avocado mixture and sour cream on top. Garnish with scallions, romaine, cilantro, pickled jalapeños and tomato, and serve with the remaining queso on the side.