Italian Nachos
Serve up a platter of howlingly good Italian Nachos as part of your Halloween party spread! This spooktacular creation consists of a base of sturdy potato chips with melted cheese, loaded with Italian meats, olives, and creamy burrata, then finished with hot honey, finely grated Parmesan, and chopped basil.
The key to these charcuterie nachos is to start with sturdy, kettle-cooked potato chips which support the generous layers of toppings without getting soggy. While I love presenting these Italian nachos on a large serving platter, they also make a fantastic centerpiece on a big board.
Surround them with other spooky finger foods, like these Jalapeno Popper Mummies, for a monstrously delicious feast that will keep your guests coming back for more.
What are Italian nachos?
These Italian nachos are a creative and delicious holiday snack or appetizer – perfect for your Halloween parties and other social gatherings! They start with a base of sturdy, cheesy potato chips and then get loaded with Italian meats (like salami and prosciutto), rich burrata cheese, onion jam, and olives.
A final drizzle of hot honey, a sprinkle of very finely grated Parmesan and fresh basil create a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors in every bite that’s truly irresistible!
Ingredients needed to make this Italian nachos recipe
- Potato chips: We use 1 pound of Kettle Black Pink Salt potato chips which are sturdy enough to withstand the heat from the oven and the weight of the toppings.
- Grated mixed cheese: We enjoy a mix of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses. A pack of finely shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend always has a great variety of cheese!
- Salami: A combination of pepper coated dry salami (thinly sliced) and Italian dry salami (cut into triangles).
- Prosciutto: Thinly sliced and added in little clumps.
- Pitted mixed olives: Drained and chopped. We use the Delallo brand, but you could use a different brand.
- Caramelized onion jam: We buy the Davina brand. It’s also possible to use this homemade Bacon Onion Jam.
- Burrata with Black Truffles: We buy the Bel Gioioso brand.
- Fresh basil: Finely chopped and sprinkled lightly over the assembled nachos just before serving.
- Hot honey: Drizzled over the top of the assembled charcuterie nachos. We love to use Mike’s Hot Honey. Regular honey can be used if you don’t enjoy honey infused with chilies.
- Parmesan cheese: Finely grated over the nachos just before serving.
How do you make Italian nachos?
Prepare the cheesy chip base:
- Preheat the oven to BROIL and move the rack to the top position.
- Spread out the chips on a large baking tray or oven-proof large plate.
- Sprinkle with the finely shredded mixed cheese.
- Place the tray of chips in the oven and broil on high until the cheese is melted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stand there and WATCH that the chips do not burn.
Add the toppings:
- Remove the tray from the oven and layer the salami and prosciutto on top of the chips.
- Next, distribute the chopped olives.
- Add spoonful’s of the jam, spreading it a little (without breaking any chips).
- Drain the burrata and then break the ball into small pieces, spreading it on top of the nachos.
Garnish and serve:
- Drizzle the hot honey over the top of the nachos and finely grate the Parmesan over.
- Sprinkle the charcuterie nachos with freshly chopped basil and enjoy!
Serving
Once assembled, serve these charcuterie nachos immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Serve them as is for a delicious holiday party snack or appetizer, or add them to a charcuterie board, surrounded by sliced apples, clumps of grapes, hot peppers, sliced pears, toasted or candied nuts, and anything else that you love to snack on!
Check out this Fall Charcuterie Board and Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board for more ideas of the types of finger foods you can add to your board.
Get the party started with refreshing cocktails served alongside your favorite holiday snacks and appetizers, such asCranberry Kir Royale Holiday Drink, Pear Martini Cocktail, or Holiday Sangria.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Avoid an overly soggy topping: Make sure to properly drain your olives and burrata. If you don’t, excess liquid can create a soggy topping which will quickly soften the crunchy Kettle chips.
- Storage: These Italian nachos are meant to be eaten immediately as the crunchy chips will quickly soften from the moist toppings. Leftover fresh toppings should be stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge and used up within 1-2 days.
- Type of chips: It’s important to use sturdy potato chips when making classic nachos so that they retain their structure under the weight of the toppings and can withstand some heat from the oven. We buy a big bag at Costco.
- Switch up the toppings: Add your favorite toppings to these charcuterie nachos. Crispy pieces of bacon, sliced or diced red bell peppers, shredded mozzarella, halved cherry tomatoes, and red onion are all great options.
- When serving on a charcuterie board: When serving these Italian nachos on a charcuterie board, we like to position a potholder in the center of a board and place the prepared nachos on top of the potholder to prevent any damage to the board.
- For added convenience: Buy the Beretta Antipasto pack from Costco. It has 3 types of salami with prosciutto which is likely to also save you money compared to buying these individually.
- Double the recipe for a large party!
More nacho ideas you’ll love for entertaining
- Strawberry Vegetarian Nachos
- The Best Nacho Recipe
- Game Night Baked Nacho Board
- Banana Split Honeycrisp Apple Nachos
Get the Recipe:
Italian Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 pound Bag of Kettle Black Pink Salt Potato Chips, sturdy chips
- 1 cup finely grated mixed cheese, we use a mix of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses
- 4 oz Pepper coated dry salami, thinly sliced
- 4 oz Italian dry salami, cut in triangles
- 4 oz Prosciutto, thinly sliced, added in little clumps
- ½ cup pitted mixed olives, chopped (we use Delallo brand), drained
- 4 oz Caramelized onion jam, we buy Davina brand
- 4 oz Burrata with Black Truffles, we buy Bel Gioioso brand
- A handful of fresh basil, finely chopped
- Hot honey, we use Mike’s Hot Honey
- 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Equipment
- large platter that is oven proof
Instructions
- Preheat oven to BROIL. Move the rack up to the top position.
- On a large baking tray or oven-proof large plate, spread out the Kettle chips to make a base for the nachos. Make sure the chips are sturdy!
- Sprinkle with the finely shredded mixed cheese. Place in the oven and broil on high until the cheese is melted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Remove from the oven and layer on top of the chips, the salami and prosciutto. Next, distribute the chopped olives.
- Add small spoonfuls of the Caramelized Onion Jam, spreading it a little (without breaking any chips).
- Drain the burrata and then tear the ball into small pieces, spreading it on top of the nachos.
- Drizzle the hot honey over the top of the nachos and grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top (the finer the better).
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil.
- Serve and enjoy!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
