Looking for an easy nacho recipe that’s a bit… different?
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love nachos – so full of crunch, oozing cheese and savoriness, they’re pretty hard to resist! But today I wanted to give the traditional corn nachos a French twist. And raclette, the famous melting cheese from the Alps, was the inspiration.
Raclette, the Alpine melting cheese, makes these the best nachos you’ll ever taste
Raclette is traditionally melted over a wood fire. When enough of the cheese has melted, it’s scraped off (racler) and served with boiled potatoes, cornichons or dried meats. So here baked potato chips stand in for the corn chips that are normally used for nachos. The potato chips are then sprinkled with raclette (I chose a smoked one here, but regular raclette is also delicious!), caramelized onions and wilted spinach.
These nachos are so sinful; it’s hard to stop eating them!
The caramelized red onions are a bit sweet and pair marvelously with the slightly nutty, smoky melted cheese. As for the wilted spinach, it not only adds a bit of color; it also brings a mellow contrast to the dish.
So here’s to potato “nachos”… and raclette!
Food & drink pairing: Hard cider with gourmet potato “nachos”
A sparkling hard cider is delicious here. It pairs wonderfully with the nutty cheese and the sweet onions. Plus it keeps the richness of the dish in check.
Potato “nachos” with smoked raclette, spinach & caramelized onion
serves 4 to 6
active time: 30 min
For the onion
- 1 medium red onion
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
For the spinach
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 2 garlic cloves – skinned and finely chopped
- 8 oz (225 g) baby spinach
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 10 oz (285 g) baked or regular potato chips
- 12 oz (340 g) smoked raclette, regular raclette, smoked cheddar or fontina – coarsely grated
- 1 large jelly roll pan (14″ x 17″) – lined with parchment paper
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C).
- Step 1: Cut both ends of the onion, remove the skin and cut the onion in half lengthwise. Then, following the grain of the onion slices, cut each half lengthwise in 1/8″ slices. You should have about 3 cups of sliced onions. Place in a bowl and set aside. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onion and toss well. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until golden-brown, tossing from time to time. Add the salt, pepper and balsamic, toss again and continue to sauté for a few seconds until the balsamic has evaporated and glazed the onion slices. Transfer back to the bowl and set aside.
- Step 2: Return skillet to stove over medium-high heat. Add the oil, cayenne and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds until the garlic releases its flavor, but don’t let it brown. Add the spinach and toss until just wilted. Add the salt and continue to toss for a few seconds until the pan juices have evaporated. Transfer to a sieve or colander to let the juices drain and set aside. (If the juices from the spinach are not drained, they’ll make the potato chips soggy.)
- Step 3: Spread half the potato chips on the prepared jelly roll pan. Top with half the grated cheese, spinach and onions. Repeat to make another layer, starting with the potato chips. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese has melted. Slide the parchment paper with the potato “nachos” onto a serving tray or board and serve immediately.
- Cook’s note: The caramelized onion and wilted spinach can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Only assemble and bake the nachos when you’re ready to serve; otherwise, the potato chips will get soggy.
Oh, yes, these would be seriously irresistible! I’ve been dying to use raclette—and now I have a reason to hunt some down ASAP!
I cannot stop laughing and I am super impressed by the originality of your ‘nachos’ such a great idea and I would much prefer raclette cheese any day!
Looks wonderful!
Where did you find smoked raclette?
I had it while in France and cannot find it in the states!
Hi Eleanor, I found it at Fairway Markets http://www.fairwaymarket.com/. I feel so lucky, because it’s an extraordinary cheese. You can also find it online here: https://www.fromages.com/en/fromage/783-smoked-raclette Good luck finding smoked raclette… and enjoy!
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What an awesome idea! I would have never thought of this! This looks SO good!
Thank you, Cathleen! Enjoy… even though it’s not sweet 🙂
Sweet potato chips were a huge success! Instead of the sautéed spinach I used a combination of winterbor (purple) and lacinto kale, that I sliced very thin and added raw. It cooked beautifully and kept its texture. The flavors were completely addictive!
Maria, I am delighted your sweet potato “nachos” came out so well… Yum!
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Hi Viviane!
I was so inspire by this I picked up a nice big piece of raclette at Whole Foods today. I’m going to try it with sweet potato chips and lacinto kale, also picked up at WF! I’ll take a picture and send it!
Hi Maria! Oh… you made my day! Enjoy your sweet potato “nachos”… I know they will be superb!
My favorite nachos ever are from a restaurant in Philly years ago that made them on potato chips like these! More people really should jump on this bandwagon – you’ve inspired me to make these at home now:)
Sarah, I am delighted to hear this… and bon appétit!
YUM! What an amazing idea. Do you think this would work with sweet potatoes too?
Thank you, Raven! Yes, I think it would work great with sweet potato chips… in fact with any vegetable chips!