Swiss Nachos

By Award-winning chef Elizabeth Falkner

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2-2 cups Pretzel Crisps® or pretzels
  • 1/2 cup caramelized onions (recipe below)
  • 1 cup Swiss cheese and cider fondue (recipe below)
  • 1/2 cup prepared sauerkraut
  • 1/4 cup horseradish spiked yogurt cream
  • 10 cornichons, sliced
  • 4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2” pieces
  • 6 thin slices of habanero chili or other chili
  • For the Caramelized Onions:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow or white onion, cut in half and sliced thin
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • 2 ounces dry sherry cooking wine
  • 2 dashes Worchestershire sauce
  • For the Swiss Cheese and Cider Fondue:
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 5 ounces grated Emmi Emmentaler® AOP Cheese
  • 5 ounces grated Emmi Le Gruyère® AOP Cheese
  • 5 ounces grated Emmi Appenzeller® Cheese
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 8 ounces hard cider, white wine or sour beer
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • Splash of kirsch or bourbon
  • For the Horseradish Spiked Yogurt Cream:
  • 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh grated horseradish or 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 pinches salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cornichon brine (the vinegar brine liquid that cornichons are in)

Method

  1. Prepare the Horseradish Spiked Yogurt Cream: Mix all of the ingredients together. Keep chilled. Add the bacon to a sauté pan and cook slowly to render the fat out of the bacon. Add the sliced habanero at the end and set aside.
  2. Prepare Caramelized Onions: In a sauté pan, add a little olive oil and then add the onions and a little salt and pinch of sugar and the minced garlic and thyme sprig and saute for 2 minutes. Cook on low for about 5-10 minutes. Add the sherry wine and reduce until caramelized. Remove the sprig of thyme. Add the Worchestershire sauce or fish sauce. Set aside.
  3. Prepare the Swiss Cheese and Cider Fondue: Split the garlic clove in half and rub all over a medium saucepan and mince to use for the onions. Toss all of the cheese with the cornstarch. Pour the cider, wine or beer in the pot and bring to a simmer. Add cheese mixture gradually and stir with a wooden spoon slowly and constantly. Melt the cheese before adding more of the grated cheese. Add the lemon juice and the Kirsch or Bourbon.
  4. Assemble: Pour pretzel crisps or other chips in a bowl. Warm the caramelized onion mixture and spread over pretzel crisps. Warm the fondue and pour all over. Spread sour kraut over the mix. Add the cornichons slices, bacon and the habanero and enjoy.