Baked Idaho Nachos

There is just something about watching endless hours of football {and now basketball as well} over the weekend and eating crap food.

And by crap I mean unhealthy food, yet still really tasty.

It's almost a right of passage that when sports consume our weekends you have to have a plate of greasy goodness sitting in front of you.  But wait!  These Baked Idaho Nachos are baked, not fried, so I've cut down on a LOT of the grease.  A little indulgence never hurt anyone.

Now I took the time to cut up a large baking potato and make my own fries, but I've also seen these nachos done with pre-cut frozen fries, even waffle fries.  I'll let you decide how you want to do it.

After getting the fries nice and crispy it is just a matter of frying up some bacon, melting some cheese and topping with a drizzle of ranch and hot sauce.

Sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Baked Idaho Nachos

*feeds two
1 large baking potato
2 strips of bacon, chopped and cooked
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil
garlic powder
pepper
ranch dressing
hot sauce

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.  Wash and cut potato into 1/2 in. slices {french fry style}.  Toss in olive oil.
3.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until crispy and brown, flipping halfway.
4.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven, arrange the fries in the middle and top with cheese.
5.  Place back in the oven just to melt the cheese.
6.  Remove from the oven, place fries on a plate, top with crumbled bacon, ranch and hot sauce.
7.  Serve hot.

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In other news....

We had our first early Thanksgiving yesterday so I've got leftover turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and dressing in my fridge.  You better believe I had the BEST turkey sandwich last night and later today I'll be putting together my leftover turkey casserole.  I wait once a year for this thing!

I was also given a large box of homegrown apples.  We've already snacked on a few, but I'm thinking maybe some applesauce or throwing some in a dessert?

And I did get a new crock pot courtesy of my in-laws.  My big one that got used, like once a week, cracked and broke on me a couple of weeks ago.  It was almost like losing a pet. Seriously.

Have a good week!