Beer Cheese Chorizo Potatoes Recipe

prepare potatoes

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Wash potatoes and pat dry. Halve or quarter potatoes so pieces are roughly 1–1½ inches. Place in a large bowl.

Toss potatoes with 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 1 tsp smoked paprika until evenly coated.

Spread potatoes cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes, until golden and fork-tender. Remove from oven and keep warm.

If using bacon, crisp separately in a skillet or oven, then crumble and set aside for garnish.

When ready to serve, transfer roasted potatoes to a serving dish or leave on baking sheet for family-style service. Sprinkle minced chives over potatoes and hold until sauce is ready.

While potatoes roast, brown the chorizo: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. If using a very fatty chorizo, no extra oil is required; otherwise add 1 tsp neutral oil.

Add removed-casing chorizo to skillet and crumble with a spoon. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring, until well browned and most fat has rendered.

Add ½ cup finely diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves to the skillet. Sauté 3–4 minutes until onion is softened and translucent and garlic is fragrant. Reduce heat to low and keep warm. If there is excess grease, spoon off and reserve 1 tbs for flavor.

Make a roux: in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbs butter. Add 2 tbs flour and whisk constantly for 1–2 minutes until the raw flour smell is gone and the roux is pale golden.

Slowly whisk in 1 cup beer until smooth, then whisk in ½ cup whole milk. Increase heat slightly and bring mixture to a gentle simmer, whisking, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (2–3 minutes).

Lower heat to low. Whisk in 1 tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp hot sauce (if using) and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Remove saucepan from heat and gradually stir in 1.5 cups sharp cheddar and 0.5 cup Gruyère (or Monterey Jack), a handful at a time, stirring until completely melted and smooth. Taste and season with kosher salt as needed (start with ¼ tsp). If sauce is too thick, whisk in up to 2 tbs additional milk to reach desired consistency.

Fold the cooked chorizo and softened onions into the cheese sauce, stirring to combine. Keep sauce warm over very low heat; do not boil once cheese is incorporated or it may separate.

To serve: spoon the beer-cheese-chorizo mixture over the roasted potatoes. Garnish with crumbled bacon (if using) and minced chives. Serve immediately while hot.