Happy St. Paddy’s Day!! I’ve actually been cooking Irish-inspired or at least Irish American inspired recipes all week. The standout was these McMullan’s Irish Nachos. They are so named because they’re inspired by the famous McMullen’s Pub. McMullen’s is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and if you’re anywhere near, you might just want to visit. If not, maybe these Nachos will do for now!
McMullan’s Irish Nachos, add in pickled jalapenos and limes, too!
These are crispy, crunchy homemade potato chips (sub in kettle chips if ya want) loaded with two kinds of cheese, frizzled corned beef (or other protein of choice), and topped with sour cream (or even better, one of those Chip & Dip Potato Toppers like Top the Tater if it’s available in your area.)
About McMullan’s Irish Nachos:
My McMullan’s Irish Nachos are straightforward, even though they don’t look it: chips, cheese & meat. What makes them so fantastic is the sheer audacity in the amount of the Cheddar & White Cheddar cheese along with that carnitas-style corned beef!
This is the recipe you’re going to want for your leftover corned beef! Seriously. I like to steam the leftover corned beef in some of the juices it’s originally cookeded in. Then let all that broth evaporate away. The corned beef kinda frizzles like carnitas, the flavor intensifies and the edges get all crispy.
You’re not limited to making these with corned beef. You can make these anytime and pile them with taco meat, Mexican or fajita-style chicken or steak, bacon, pork carnitas, or anything else that strikes your fancy. There are so many possibilities.
McMullan’s Irish Nachos
Serving:
These have become a St. Paddy’s Day tradition at our house. I’ve made them piled high as they do at the pub this time. They’re family style, on an old griddle which is kind of fun. If you’re serving a crowd, you can double or triple the recipe, or maybe more, and make it on a sheet pan! It doesn’t really matter – it’s all good, so whatever works for you.
My fave way is to plop them into individual cast iron skillets (pick them up at 2nd hand stores). I’m all for having my own little skillet full coz a certain piggy family member (you know who you are!) will scarf them all down otherwise, while I’m gabbing away. Yeah, I talk too much but is that any reason to be penalized?
If you have a mix of eaters who savor and those who scarf, you can always make individual servings on an oven-safe plate if you don’t happen to have individual cast iron pans just laying around.
McMullan’s Irish Nachos are great with a few pickled jalapenos and a little lime, for a special touch, try my Cowboy Candy instead. Never had Cowboy Candy? Check the links at the bottom of the page.
Making McMullan’s Irish Nachos:
I made my McMullan’s Irish Nachos with my Best Homemade Potato Chips. They’re deep-fried and out of this world delish. You can make them or you can bake the potato chips in the oven as I did for these Irish Pub Nachos. Or maybe you’ll want to buy a good brand of chips. Something that will stand up, like a crispy Kettle Chip. It’s your call.
If you use leftover Corned Beef, this is super easy to make. Just add the corned beef, and little of the broth from cooking it into a skillet. Heat it up and let the corned beef soften. Let the broth evaporate so the edges get a little crispy. You’ll see it “frizzle” or kind of dance around in the hot skillet and curl up.
The recipe itself is super simple; just layer ingredients. If doing a big batch, go about halfway up and stick it in the oven to get melty, pull it out, and add the rest of the ingredients. If doing this in individual servings, you don’t have to do that coz they’re small enough to melt all the way through. Either way, bake until the cheese is hot and melty, and then garnish the heck out of them!
Irish Pub Nachos
Saving Money on McMullan’s Irish Nachos
Potato Chips:
For best value compare the per pound price of potatoes, which will usually be the largest bags unless there is a great sale on another size. Store in a dark, cool place, away from onions and they’ll keep longer.
Even with the cost of oil, making homemade potato chips is so much better and cheaper than buying; strain the oil & reuse it. If you don’t want to fry, try the baked chips on my Irish Pub Nachos.
You can shortcut this recipe with some good Kettle Chips; try to buy them on sale. You won’t use as much as you think; about half a package made the huge mound shown in these pics.
Cheese:
The larger cost here is the cheese, and for great meltability, you can’t beat the good old grocery store cheese. It goes on sale regularly.
If you want to go higher end, look for a couple of good Irish Cheeses to use here or maybe something like a Vermont Cheddar. Check your buyer’s club; they usually have something at a reasonable price for the quality. If you’re not a member, take a look at Aldi or Lidl; the discount stores have come a long way.
So how about you? Do you have special little touches you use when you make Nachos? Do you go wild and over the top or are you all about the classic tortilla chips and cheese? I mean, you can’t go wrong with that, either, amirite?
I hope you enjoy and Happy St. Paddy’s Day!
Mollie
McMullan’s Irish Nachos
McMullan’s Irish Nachos
Crispy potato chips loaded with layers of two cheeses, crisped corned beef and topped with sour cream, tomaotes, chives. Add pickled jalapenos and lime for a little kick. Inspired by McMullan’s in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Total Time: 20 to 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appatizers
- Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients
- Best Potato Chips or about 3/4 bag Kettle Chips (see note)
- 8 ounces of Cheddar Cheese, grated
- 8 ounces of White Cheddar Cheese, grated
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups (or more) of shredded corned beef & some of the cooking broth (see note)
- 1 tomatoe, seeds removed and chopped
- chopped chives or thinly sliced green onion, for garnish
- sour cream or Top of the Potato, for garnish
- pickled jalapenos or Cowboy Candy, optional for garnish
- 1 lime, quartered, optional for garnish
Notes:
- If making the homemade chips, use about 4 medium russet potatoes.
- If not using corned beef, try Mexican or fajita spiced chicken, taco meat, pork carnitas or bacon
- If no broth is available from the corned beef, just heat up in a little oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Prepare corned beef. Add to a skillet with a bit of the broth, maybe about 3 or 4 tablespoons. Cover and heat over medium heat and once the corned beef has softened, remove the lid and allow corned beef to “frizzle” and crisp in the skillet. If no broth is available, gently heat with allow oil until corned beef has softened and warmed through, then increase heat and allow to crisp on the edges.
On a large sheet tray or cast iron pan or in 4 individual ovenproof dishes or cast iron skillets (place the individual vessels on a sheet tray) layer the potato chips, cheese, and protein of choice. If making a larger tall portion, stop halfway with the layering and pop into the oven for several minutes to heat and then proceed with remaining layers.
Bake for about four to five minutes for the individual servings, eight to 10 minutes for a larger, until cheese is melted all the way through.
Serve with sour cream and garnish with tomatoes, chives and other garnishes of choice.
Notes
Make as many servings as you’d like; just scale the recipe up or down. Plan on a medium-sized potato per person.
To bake, rather than fry, the potatoes see my post on Irish Pub Nachos.
To prepare the corned beef, add about a tablespoon of oil to a small skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add diced or shredded corned beef and cook, stirring now and then, until corned beef dries a bit and begins to crisp on the edges.
Add more, more, more of any ingredients you’d like! These should just be loaded with ingredients.
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I’ll be bringing McMullan’s Irish Nachos to Fiesta Friday #215, hosted this week by Laurena @ Life Diet Health and Alex @ Turks Who Eat. We’d all love it if you stop by & see a collection of recipes and posts by the fantastic food bloggers who’ve joined in.
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