2 Italian-Ish Twists On Nachos That Are Worth Your Time

Food blogger and cookbook author Dan Whalen knows his way around fool-proof, game day nachos. He's shared numerous twists on the classic snack on his blog The Food in my Beard, inspiring hungry readers with new favorites like scallion pancake nachos, eggs Benedict nachos, and even latke nachos. He offers up even more epically adventurous ideas in his cookbook "Nachos for Dinner."

A few of his most treasured recipes have something in common: an Italian-ish twist on the classic chips-and-cheese combination. "Italian sandwich nachos were pretty eye opening," he tells Chowhound. "I used regular chips and topped them with provolone and the usual Italian meats like salami, pepperoni, and ham. Then after it cooks, top with lettuce, tomato, and banana peppers dressed lightly with an Italian dressing!" Italy is known for a few underrated Italian sandwiches, but Whalen's sandwich-salad-nacho concoction sounds like a winner. Iterate on his idea with other under-the-radar Italian deli meats like mortadella or bresaola, or add a sprinkling of parmesan or asiago cheese. Finish off your nachos with a few sliced olives for the final, Italian-inspired touch.

Italian sandwich-style nachos aren't much of a departure from the classic snack. Cheese, meat, and veggies sprinkled over chips — what's not to like? But food blogger Dan Whalen takes his favorite Italian inspiration even further when he leaves the tortilla chips behind. "One of my favorites was frying lasagna noodles and topping it with bolognese, ricotta, and mozzarella for lasagna nachos," he tells Chowhound. Pasta nachos are a whole new ball game. By cooking pasta noodles before frying them, you're creating a crispy texture with a soft give at the center. Plus, you can either top them with one of the popular store-bought marinara sauces on hand or go all out and make your favorite, long-simmering sauce. Whalen highlights ricotta and mozzarella, but burrata, parmesan, provolone, and even a funky gorgonzola would all be welcome.

Another Italian twist from Whalen that's worth your time? Chicken parm nachos. This idea isn't just taking inspiration from the flavors of marinara and mozzarella. He actually uses small, triangle-shaped pieces of chicken parmesan as his nacho base. Finished with parsley, parmesan, and red pepper flakes, Whalen's deep-fried chicken parm nachos are protein-rich and flavor-packed.

Whalen brings the two seemingly disparate worlds of Italian cooking and nacho building even closer together with "gnocchos," or gnocchi nachos. He creates his potato gnocchi from scratch, but shelf-stable or refrigerated store-bought gnocchi would also work well. From there, he tops the potato dumplings with classic nacho toppings like guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream. Try them all and see which radical nacho variety tastes best to you.