No. I’m not talking about the aftermath of an overindulgence in Alcohol at a party in the middle of the week. I’m talking about what to do with all the Potato Chips you have leftover after a disappointing turnout of Trick-or-Treaters at the door on a cold, rainy Hallowe’en night…
In Spain, a Tortilla is an Egg Pie full of Potatoes and Veggies. This one uses
leftover Potato Chips in place of raw sliced Potatoes
for extra flavour and texture.
It was a miserable Hallowe’en night on my street. Rainy, cold and windy. Based on the number of kids we’d had at the door the two or three years previous, we bought 100 ‘Treat Size’ bags of Chips. Over two and half hours, we welcomed only 32 kids. Doorbell rings were so few and far between, I took to reading my current bathroom novel to pass the empty moments. And, when that got old, I started thinking about what to do with almost 70 leftover bags of chips.
How much is 70 bags?
Well, 50 bags is approximately 850 grams of product. So, 70 bags is something like 1.35 kg of chips! It’s a good bet that some will disappear into the hands of casual snackers around the house, but that will still leave quite a pile that require affirmative action.
Recipe inclusions…
Let’s start with the obvious ones…
I think most cooks know that you can substitute crushed Potato Chips for almost any kind of crusting or breading on Fried Foods or Casseroles. Many folks also use a layer of Chips in a Sandwich or Burger to give it a nice crunch and a Salty tang.
Potato Chip Nachos are also a favourite at our house. Just substitute Potato Chips for Corn Chips and proceed as usual. Those applications, alone, might be all you need to use up your extra Hallowe’en Chips.
More-exotic possibilities…
Pizza seems an odd way to use Potato Chips, but, if you stretch yourself and consider Nachos as Tex-Mex Pizza on Corn Chips rather than Bread Crust, you’ve got a firm connection. Try lining a Pizza pan with coarsely Crushed Potato Chips and top with a generous layer of Mozzarella. Then, add the Pizza toppings of your choice and bake in the oven until the Cheese melts into the Chips forming a unified though floppy ‘Crust’. Let the Pizza cool a bit before serving so the Crust will stiffen up a bit.
Likewise, you can line a Pie Plate or Quiche Dish with Potato Chips and top with a layer of Cheese before pouring in Quiche Filling. Bake the Quiche as usual, making sure not to burn any exposed Chips. again, allow the Quiche to cool a bit before serving so it won’t fall apart when you cut it.
I have a special spot in my heart (and stomach) for Texas Chicken and Tortilla Casserole. The regular version uses Corn Tortillas as noodle-like layers separating layers of gooey, Cheesy, Creamy Chicken Pot Pie-like filling. Top with Cheese and bake until bubbly and golden brown on top. Just use Potato Chips in place of the Tortillas to separate the layers of Chicken Filling and enjoy a really unique treat! The Chips will soften while cooking, absorbing moisture from the Filling and forming a solid layer of their own. Allow to sit for a few minutes before cutting to serve.
I recently saw a recipe that advocated including crushed Potato Chips in the filling of a Cheese Omelet, to add character and texture. Why not? And I’ve also been advised by a fellow cooking enthusiast that crushed Potato Chips are great both on and in a classic Tuna Casserole.
What about Desserts?
There are probably even more recipes for Desserts and Sweet Snacks using Potato Chips than there are main and side dishes. For one thing, Salt and Chocolate are natural flavour buddies. You can take it from there. Just Google ‘Dessert recipes using Potato Chips’ and behold a universe of possibilities… In short, you can add Potato Chips to just about any sweet recipe to make it taste better and enhance its texture.
Don’t limit yourself to Potato Chips!
If you were giving out Fritos, Doritos or Cheesies of any flavour for Hallowe’en, take heart! There are just as many recipes using them as there are for Chips. For a start, you can substitute Spicy Doritos for Chips in any Spicy or Tex-Mex concoction for added zip!
Have fun with your leftover Hallowe’en Chips. Look upon them as a joy, not a burden!
~ Maggie J.