Sounds ominous, doesn’t it? ‘Safely Dispose’? But, if you’re like me, your first impulse would be to just pig out on the leftover goodies for the next few days until they (and the gnawing temptation they represent) are gone. But I have good news! There’s a ‘healthy’ alternative…
Potato Chip Fritatta: Just one of the many creative ways
you can use up leftover Hallowe’en Potato Chips.
First, a little background…
The U.S. National Retail Federation has performed vital research on the topic and their finding can probably be taken as definitive: Americans spent an estimated (US)$2.6 billion on Hallowe’en Candy this past season. No kidding. And that’s just sweet confections. The mountain of Chips, Cheesies and other Salty treats that many householders now opt to give out are a whole separate story, the figures fore which are not yet available, but probably rival the spending on Candy.
Here in Canada, we’ve seen a lot more ‘single serving’ bags of Chips and related Salty treats in kids’ goody bags during recent years’ Trick or Treat nights than we have Candy products. One reason is, the mini Candy bars, single Reese’s Cups and other sweet treats have about tripled in price over the past several years. Another is, parents (here, at least) seem to trust sealed bags of Chips over other kinds of treats when it comes to tampering concerns. We switched to Chips from Candy a few years back, when the price of Chocolate started to soar, and suffered no increase in the level of soaping or toilet-papering we had experienced previously. Granted, that had been ‘none’. But we were were glad to see the kids showed their appreciation for the Chips by not starting.
Anyway…
Last night was the first Hallowe’en haunting since I moved into my current home (more than a decade ago) when the doorbell didn’t ring. Not once. Not single ‘Shell out!’ or ‘Trick or Treat!’ to be heard anywhere up or down the block.
Sure, it was raining pretty hard off and on, and I don’t blame the kids (or their parents, who likely had the final say on whether they went out) not to take to the streets. But now, I’m left with a hundred single-serving packets of Cheese Sticks. What to do? Well, truth to tell, Erin, Mom and I have already eaten a few packets – maybe half a dozen total – and at least a few more will be disposed of that way before the crisis is over. But I long ago decided to come up with options for using up leftover Hallowe’en Salty treats in other, faster, more efficient ways.
Crust ’em
My favourite application for leftover Potatao Chips is to crush them and use them for crusting on Chicken, Pork Chops, Scallopinis or other fried or baked mains. You can get rid of half a dozen or more bags of Chips in one meal that way. And remember, crusting stuff with Chip Crumbs is really popular in the Fast Food sphere, the family and or friends you serve your creations to will be impressed with your attention to ‘food fashion’.
Sprinkle ’em
I also like to crush a few bags of Chips to sprinkle over Soups in place of Croutons. You can also get lots of mileage out of top-dressing Tacos, Chili and other Tex Mex dishes with crushed Chips. Which brings us to the Casserole realm. Any Casserole which usually gets a topping of Bread Crumbs or other crispy stuff will get a lift from a good, healthy layer of crushed Chips instead. Crushed Chips can dress up a Salad buffet as well, providing a crunchy, Salty topping option.
Leave ’em whole
Layer ’em in a Quiche or Fritatta. Layer ’em in Sandwiches or Burgers. Spread ’em out on a baking sheet (on a sheet of parchment paper) and make Potato Chip Nachos. Sort out the flattest ones and use them in place of Baguette slices or Melba Toast or whatever as bases for Hors d’Oeuvres or other Cocktail Bites.
Use your imagination!
I’m sure you can come up with even more great ideas for using up leftover Hallowe’en Salty Treats. And remember, If you choose Cheese Sticks or Corn Puffs rather than Potato Chips for your Hallowe’en treating, other opportunities magically present thermselves…
~ Maggie J.