Beer Cheesesteak Waffle Nachos
July 13, 2020 by Nicole Collins
This is not the post that I had planned for today.
But it's National French Fry Day, and I knew that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share the killer french fry recipe that I had planned for later on down the road. So here we are.
I actually had no idea that this obviously major national holiday was happening, hence the last minute switcheroo. I was just scrolling through social media last night before bed, as I tend to do, and I started seeing posts all over about all of the special things and giveaways happening for National French Fry Day.
So, I thought about it for a second. And, I decided to stay up past my bedtime to throw together a quick story so that we could all enjoy this loaded french fry phenomenon today. You guys should feel honored. I stayed awake past 10pm for you!
Though, I have to be honest with you. I could've stayed up til 3am if I wanted to. I didn't, for the record. But, I'm actually on vacation from work this week. And right now since vacation = staycation, I can stay up all night and sleep all day if I so chose. My body would NEVER let me do that, because I'll wake with the sun no matter what time I go to bed, but that's a different story for a different day.
Anyway, I've kept you in suspense long enough. Let's get to what we're making today. Today, we're making Beer Cheesesteak Waffle Nachos.
I KNOW! How mad would you have been at me if I didn't share the ultimate fry recipe with you on National French Fry Day?!?!?
Here's the thing about this recipe. It may seem like there are a lot of components to it, but there's really not that much to do. Especially since we're taking help from the grocery store on the fry part.
Let's talk about the fries first. We're going to use store bought waffle fries straight from the freezer section at the grocery store. Bake them according to the packages directions, but make sure you get them perfectly crisp. We can't have the limp weenie fries for this meal, because we need the fries to stand up to the mounds of toppings we're going to pile on. So, really make sure you get that perfect golden color on them.
Next, let's talk about the steak part of this meal. We're going to let the grocery store help us out here too, because we can buy super thinly shaved beef right in the meat section of the store. We cook the beef with some onions, worcestershire, and good old s&p to get it seasoned and tasty, and that's basically all there is to the meat. Plus, because it's so thin, it cooks pretty quickly.
Everyone knows the best part of a cheesesteak is the gooey cheese. And, everyone knows the best part of nachos is the cheesy goodness. So, the simple beer cheese sauce that we're going to make to drizzle over our waffle nachos may just be my favorite part of this whole situation. Some things to note...1.Choose a beer that you like. The whole point of beer cheese is to be able to taste the beer flavor. So, use the beer that you'd want to drink alongside these nachos. 2. The sauce is going to feel a little thin when it comes off the heat, but I promise you it will thicken as it sits. It's perfectly pourable enough to coat our nachos, but it's not dripping all over the place whenever you try to take a bite. That's the perfect consistency if you ask me!
The only thing left to do is assemble! I like to serve these right on the same tray that baked the waffle fries for an easy and fun presentation. On top of the fries, we pile up our seasoned beef, our creamy sauce, and some fresh lettuce, tomato, and peppers to cut some of the richness from our hearty base. And then, we dig in.
I'm not really sure if I want these nachos to be an appetizer or a meal, and I don't really think it matters what we call it as long as we call it delicious. It's savory, and messy, and tasty, and such a fun communal meal. And, isn't that the best way to do family dinner?
Ok, everyone. If you whip up this french fry masterpiece, be sure to tag me on Instagram so that I can see too! Enjoy this amazingly delicious holiday. And, let's eat!
Beer Cheesesteak Waffle Nachos
Serves: 4-6 Print
Ingredients:
For the Shaved Beef:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced
1 lb shaved ribeye beef
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
For the Beer Cheese Sauce:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup beer (I used Guinness Blonde), at room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste
For the Waffle Nachos:
1 bag (22 oz) waffle fries
½ cup shredded lettuce
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 mini sweet peppers, sliced
Directions:
Bake waffle fries according to package directions.
Meanwhile, make the Shaved Beef: Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, and saute for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown. Add beef, salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine, and cook until beef is no longer pink. Set aside.
Make the Beer Cheese Sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute for 30 seconds- 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add heavy cream and beer, and bring to a simmer. Add cream cheese, dijon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Melt the cream cheese, and bring the mix back to a simmer. Simmer for 5-6 mins until the mix starts to thicken. Add cheddar, and whisk until the cheese is fully melted and combined. Taste and season, if necessary. The cheese sauce will be thin but will thicken as it cools.
Assemble the Nachos: On the same sheet pan used to make the fries, top fries with shaved beef, the beer cheese sauce, shredded lettuce, grape tomatoes, and sweet pepper rings. Serve immediately.
Recipe notes:
*This recipe is best eaten the same day and served fresh.
*Make sure your fries are crisp and not soggy when they finish cooking. They need to be able to stand up to all of the yummy things we're piling on top.
*I chose to use a blonde beer, but a lager or ale would be nice here too. Use a beer that you like, because you will be able to taste a little beer in the sauce.
*You can find shaved beef in the meat section of most grocery stores these days.
