Taste Irish Nachos With Guinness Beer Cheese
I haven’t done any of these genetic tests, but I know the results would show that my ancestors were very pale and mostly Irish (or some combination of Irish and Welsh). But honestly, I feel as Irish as a plate of Irish nachos, which are not from Ireland and have never been to Ireland – but you can imagine hanging out with them over a pint of beer.
Irish nachos are a simple dish. All you need is some fried potatoes to serve as a base, and whatever you would normally put on a “fully loaded” baked potato or potato skin. Most Irish nachos are made by melting cheese on potato chips or fried sliced potatoes and topping them with bits of bacon, sour cream, and chives or scallions. It’s good, even good, but it could be better.
My favorite nachos, regardless of nationality, are always made with cheese sauce—in this case, beer cheese sauce. You can make Beer Cheesy Sauce with any beer, but I chose Guinness, which suits both the theme and taste. It gives the sauce a bitter, malty character that pairs particularly well with very spicy Irish cheddar. Instead of a sauce that boasts one flavor (cheese), you get a sauce with character and zest, a sauce you can’t put down.
Apart from potato chips, this sauce is good with bread and pretzels, and as a fondue for crispy tart apples, or as a sauce for pigs in a blanket . (This recipe does a lot, so it’s good to have multiple uses for it.)
beer guinness cheese
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/8 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
- 12 ounces Guinness or other dry Irish stout
- 1 cup whole milk
- 12 ounces spicy Irish cheddar, grated
Melt the butter in a saucepan or medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and MSG and mix to make a paste and continue cooking until the mixture is frothy and no lumps remain.
Slowly pour in the beer, then the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to low and add cheese in small handfuls, stirring after each addition until completely melted. Serve immediately. (Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop.)