14 Creative Ways To Use Potato Chips When Cooking
Potato chips are a staple in most households. They taste great when served on the side of a sandwich and can make a great snack. Whether you grab a bag at the store or make your own potato chips, they certainly are a delicious treat to enjoy. Plus, with so many different flavor options, including barbecue, salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion, and so many more, you can serve up some variety while still enjoying this classic snack.
Did you know that the bag of potato chips in your pantry can actually help you craft a wide array of scrumptious recipes? That's right. Potato chips can add some crunch and enhance the flavor of everything from casseroles, salads, shepherd's pie, and even brownies and cookies. Intrigued? Read on to learn more about some creative ways you can integrate potato chips into some of your favorite recipes. You'll be amazed by all the different options and might even find the inspiration to come up with your own recipe featuring potato chips.
1. Top mac and cheese with crumbled potato chips
Who doesn't like mac and cheese? It is so creamy and cheesy and truly is the ultimate comfort food. Are you aware that you can take a standard macaroni and cheese recipe to the next level with some potato chips? The only thing better than mac and cheese is mac and cheese with a crispy and crunchy potato chip topping.
Follow your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. Once cooked and mixed together, melt some butter and spread it over the bottom of an oven-safe baking dish. Add in the mac and cheese mixture and top it with a few handfuls of crumbled potato chips. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the mac and cheese is bubbling and the potato chips have turned a nice golden brown.
Adding a potato chip topping to your mac and cheese will also dress it up, giving it a more gourmet look for your next family gathering, summer barbecue, or potluck dinner. You can even experiment with different flavors of potato chips. Classic potato chips would taste great with this recipe, but imagine how barbecue or sour cream and cheddar chips would change the flavor profile.
2. Use potato chips to make oven fried chicken
Perhaps you've heard that you can use Cornflakes to make crispy oven-fried chicken. Another way you can change up your fried chicken dinner is by using potato chips to make the coating for the chicken. Using potato chips for this recipe gives the chicken a nice crunch. It also brings a little change from a traditional fried chicken recipe, offering some variety. But, don't worry, the chicken will still taste great. You can even play around with different types of potato chips to find the exact combination that tastes the best to you. For example, try sour cream and onion chip 'fried' chicken or barbecue chip chicken wings.
You'll follow the same steps that you would take to make any other breaded chicken recipe: dipping the chicken in flour, dredging it with eggs, then coating with the crumbled potato chips. One quick tip — before baking this recipe, put it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes. This will help ensure that the potato chip coating stays on the chicken and doesn't slide off when it is being baked.
3. Add potato chips to your favorite cookie recipe
The next time you feel like baking, step away from tradition by making some potato chip cookies. Yes, you read that right. Adding potato chips to cookies can help you craft a treat that is both sweet and salty. And, who doesn't love that combination.
The possibilities are nearly endless. You can work potato chips into almost any cookie recipe, and the results will be quite tasty. Consider trying chocolate and potato chip cookies by adding some potato chips into your go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. You could also add some crushed potato chips into your favorite peanut butter, snickerdoodle, or even oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. Beyond the difference in flavor, adding chips to your cookies can change their texture — in a good way. The cookies will have more of a crunch to them, which will pair nicely with the soft and chewy texture of the rest of the cookie.
4. Make a potato chip casserole
This recipe idea can help you give your favorite casserole an upgrade by adding some potato chips. If you're making a chicken pot pie casserole, the crispy chips will pair nicely with the smooth warm gravy and chunks of chicken. If you have leftover turkey after a holiday meal, combine it with some egg noodles, condensed soup, and potato chips for an out-of-this world meal. You could even consider adding potato chips to a seafood casserole with scallops and shrimp to offer a nice crunch to contrast with the softer and smoother texture of the shellfish.
When adding potato chips to your favorite casserole recipe, crush them and use them to top it before adding it to the oven. You can even mix more chips in with the filling itself. This will give each bite a bit of a salty crunch, delivering a truly delectable dining experience.
5. Use potato chips to give sliders an extra crunch
Potato chips are often served on the side of a delicious burger or an order of sliders. The next time you make sliders, consider putting the potato chips inside, rather than serving them on the side. There are actually two ways you can accomplish this goal, and both are pretty tasty.
The first choice is to simply place a layer of potato chips over the burger before topping it with the bun. Choose this option if you want more of a crunch with every bit. The other thing you can do is add some crushed potato chips to the ground beef burger mixture before cooking it. Doing so can really enhance the overall flavor of the burger. This can be especially true if you use barbecue chips or another flavored option.
Regardless of whether you choose to add the potato chips directly in with the burger meat or use them to top the patties, you can be confident that your sliders will be the hit of your next gathering. They are certain to go quickly, so make more than you think you'll need.
6. Add cheese and other topping to potato chips for unique nachos
Sure, nachos are traditionally made using tortilla chips, but where is it written in stone that they have to be? Using potato chips instead of tortilla chips every now and then can give you more variety. Potato chips clearly have a different taste and texture than that of tortilla chips, so they'll offer a unique twist to this popular appetizer. The crunchy and slightly greasy chips pair beautifully with melted cheese and other nacho toppings.
Because potato chips are a bit smaller and more likely to break than tortilla chips, consider a few alternatives to this dish to make it a little less messy. Instead of making a big plate to share with a crowd, try making individual portions that people can eat with a fork if need be. You could also try topping the potato chip nachos with barbecue pulled pork to make a complete meal out of them.
7. Make a pie crust using potato chips
The next time you're asked to bring a dessert to a family gathering, make something that most of the guests will have never tried before: a pie with a potato chip crust. Traditional pie crusts and graham cracker crusts are great and all, but they're so predictable. Swapping those out for a crunchy potato chip crust will offer a welcome change and may leave you inundated with tons of requests for the recipe.
To cut down on the oil in the chips and make sure the crust binds well, add a few quick oats when making the crust. Mix together the finely ground oats and potato chips and then add some melted butter before pressing the mixture into your pie pan. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes and let it cool before filling. As for what filling to use with this recipe, you can pretty much use any no-bake pie or cheesecake recipe. Think about flavors that will pair nicely with the salty crunch of the potato chips when deciding what to make. A few options to consider include peanut butter or Nutella cheesecake, apple tarts, lemon meringue pie, or even ice cream pie.
8. Upgrade chicken salad with crunchy potato chips
Are you looking for a way to upgrade your chicken salad? Do you like the crunch that celery offers, but don't feel like engaging in the tedious task of washing and chopping it? Why not add some potato chips to your chicken salad sandwich instead? The chips will deliver a nice crunch and add a hint of salt to the chunky chicken salad.
After you make your go-to chicken salad recipe, simply crush a few potato chips and stir them into the mixture. Pile the potato chip chicken salad between two slices of bread and serve immediately. This is a recipe that you won't want to make too far ahead of time. If the chips sit in the potato salad for too long, they'll absorb the moisture and lose their crunchy texture. Alternatively, if you want to be able to mix the chicken salad ahead of time, you can top it with full potato chips when you're making the salad. This will still allow you to enjoy the added crunch that the chips deliver, without worry about them getting too soggy.
9. Stir some potato chip crumbles into brownie mix
Instead of following the directions on a box of brownie mix, try livening the recipe up just a bit with some potato chips. Topping a pan of brownies with chips not only makes them look more interesting, but it can also enhance their taste. Potato chips are the perfect addition if you enjoy pairing sweet and salty foods together.
While potato chips can certainly be used as the only topping when making brownies, adding a few additional toppings could make for an even more gourmet-worthy brownie. One option is to cook some bacon and crumble it over the brownies along with the potato chips. Another idea is to coarsely chop pretzel twists and add them, the crushed potato chips, and a few sprinkles of Himalayan sea salt. Finishing this recipe off with a drizzle of caramel would be the ultimate sweet and salty combination. Don't forget to make enough to share with others, it may be tempting to keep these brownies all to yourself.
10. Make addictive potato chip crack
The name says it all. Potato chip crack is absolutely delicious and highly addictive. Only try making it if you have amazing self-control, are ready to indulge, or will be sharing with a large crowd so you can avoid eating the entire batch by yourself. There are actually a few different variations you can try, some savory and some sweet, depending on whether you're looking for an appetizer or dessert recipe.
The more savory appetizer version of potato chip crack pairs crumbled bacon, cheese, maple serum, and brown sugar with potato chips. All of the ingredients are added over a layer of potato chips in a baking dish and baked in the oven until the cheese melts. Once cool, pieces of the 'crack' can be pulled off and devoured. The sweeter dessert recipe follows the same principle. Spread a layer of potato chips on the bottom of a sheet pan and top with a mixture of melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. After baking for a few minutes, add some chocolate chips before returning everything to the oven to let the chocolate chips get warm and melty.
11. Give green bean casserole a salty potato chip crunch
Green bean casserole is a popular dish served at many holiday meals, barbecues, and other gatherings. It combines creamy mushroom soup with green beans and is traditionally topped with fried onions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going the traditional route and topping your green bean casserole with fried onions, but if you truly want your dish to stand out against the crowd, why not try something different?
Using potato chips in place of fried onions will deliver a unique flavor profile to the dish, leaving behind a memorable taste. Like fried onions, potato chips are plenty crispy, so they won't mess with that signature aspect of the dish. If you're using potato chips instead of fried onions, but still want a little of the flavor the onions add to the casserole, try adding a little onion powder to the green bean and mushroom soup mixture. Alternatively, you could sauté some fresh onions and add them to the mixture before cooking — just don't add raw onions, as they can negatively alter the taste.
12. Upgrade onion rings with a crispy potato chip coating
Did you know that you can also use crushed potato chips to 'bread' homemade onion rings? Whether you're tired of using breadcrumbs or just opened your pantry to realize that you already used up the last of your stock, potato chips make a wonderful alternative. As with using them for other recipes, the chips will cook up to be a nice golden brown. They'll be wonderfully crispy, which is ideal if you want a truly good batch of onion rings.
Potato chip onion rings are easy to make. Simply coat the onions with flour, dip them in whipped eggs, and then toss the ring into a zippered plastic bag with crushed potato chips. Move the onion and the crushed chips around to coat the entire surface, and then cook all the rings in hot oil for a few minutes. This is another recipe where you can really experiment with how different types of potato chips impact the way the onion rings taste. Classic potato chips, sour cream and onion, barbecue, or cheddar and sour cream are some delicious options to try, just to name a few.
13. Make sweet and salty potato chip clusters
As you can probably tell by now, potato chips can transform regular desserts into sweet and salty delicacies. If you love this combination of flavors, then you may also want to try your hand at making some sweet and salty potato chip clusters. This recipe idea combines the salty crunch of potato chips with some pecans and white chocolate. Even better? You don't have to turn on the oven to make it.
All you will need to do is to melt some white chocolate and mix in the potato chips and pecans. Then, just use a tablespoon and your finger to drop clusters of the mixture onto some wax paper, and place in the refrigerator to set. Whether you're looking for a new addition to your holiday cookie plate or want something to serve to friends and family at the next summer barbecue, these clusters are sure to be a hit. You can even experiment with different types of chocolate and nuts to find other combinations you like. Consider semi-sweet chocolate chips and honey roasted peanuts or butterscotch chips with pecans.
14. Top mini shepherd's pies appetizers with potato chip crumbles
Potato chip crumbles can make an excellent topping for a shepherd's pie recipe. Shepherd's pie is a type of casserole featuring vegetables and meat — typically beef or lamb — topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. The whole thing is baked in the oven, letting the mashed potatoes get a bit crusty and ensuring that all the flavors of the meat and veggies blend together.
However, you can bring shepherd's pie to the next level by adding a layer of crushed potato chips over the mashed potatoes before baking. Doing so will help achieve a crispier and crunchier topping. Another idea is to make mini shepherd's pie appetizers in a muffin pan. For the appetizer version, you can skip the mashed potatoes (they'll probably be a bit messy, anyway), and just use the crushed potato chips to make the topping. If you want to get a slightly creamier texture, consider mixing the crushed chips with some water, cream cheese, and butter — yum!