Buffalo Chicken Nacho-Style Potato Chips

I put this recipe in the category of “what in the world was I thinking”; because it is sinfully tasty and let’s be honest - I really should be eating healthy things for dinner, not potato chips loaded with chicken, bleu cheese, bacon, and a spicy, creamy wing sauce.

Though the potato chips were baked and homemade… so I had that going for me at least.

Still, I make these sorts of recipes on nights when Brent is working late so I can eat all of it with no shame. In fact, when he came home at 10:30PM and asked what I had for dinner and if there were leftovers, I hesitated to tell him. I mean what girl eats a whole pile of nacho-style potato chips for dinner?

I do apparently. I just can’t help it. While I love yogurt, fruit, and veggies…I can’t help loving sour cream, butter, and cheese more.

So here is the recipe for you to try. Share them with a friend and or scarf them down all on your own – it’s up to you!

       Buffalo Chicken Nacho-Style Potato Chips

*Serves 4 as an appetizer
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1 chicken breast
- 6-8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3-4 teaspoons of buffalo wing sauce, adjust to your taste
- ½ cup bleu cheese
- ½ cup scallions, chopped
- homemade potato chips or regular ones

Homemade Dark Russet Potato Chips

Growing up my mom called these “Home Fries” and would serve them if we had hamburgers for dinner on the weekend. I always thought of them more like potato chips but a little more substantial since they are thicker. This is actually going to be a two part post because while you can certainly enjoy these by themselves, I actually made them for a really guilty pleasure.

First things first.

Homemade Potato Chips

*Serves 4
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1.5 tablespoons oil – veggie, olive, canola – whatever you prefer (I used olive oil)
- Salt and pepper


Directions:
1. Clean your potatoes well. Peel off the skin if you wish, I leave them on. Slice your potatoes thin and evenly. No more than 1/8 of an inch, but a little thinner is better. A mandolin is perfect for this, but not necessary.

2. You will probably have to do this in a couple of batches or using more than one baking sheet at once. So take a portion of the oil and brush a good amount on the sheet. Then take the potatoes and swipe them in the oil on one side and set them down on the other. Similar to how you would dredge chicken or fish in flour. Keep them in a single layer.

Smoked Gouda and Pancetta Potatoes Au Gratin

So the other day I posted a quick poll about what type of potato dish I should make with leftover smoked gouda and pancetta. I didn’t get any feedback before diner time, so I made an executive decision to make the au gratin style. I've made gratins many times so I just went with my standard ratios and adjusted them for the size dish.

I’m an incredibly indecisive person, so this was tough.

I was so happy with how these turned out. It doesn’t always happen that when testing a new recipe I come up with on the fly comes out so well. Sometimes it takes two or three trials before I feel a dish is good enough to share. I got lucky on this one…not that I would have minded making them a few more times because they are really, really yummy.

Smoked Gouda and Pancetta Potatoes Au Gratin

*Serves 4
(printable recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb russet potatoes
- 1.5 cups of smoked gouda, shredded
- 2 ¼” thick slices of pancetta, diced small
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- splash of oil
- salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a small sauté pan over medium high heat, add a small amount of oil and the diced pancetta. Sauté until pancetta is browned and then remove from heat onto a paper towel to remove excess oil. Peel your potatoes and slice 1/8” thick. If you have a mandolin – bust it out! Set aside.

Being less wasteful with Homemade Croutons

If you ever have a large amount of bread leftover that you need to use up, this is great way. Not only do you save money because you aren’t spending money of prepackaged croutons, but you will be able to get your money’s worth out of each loaf of bread.

Homemade Croutons

Ingredients:

- approx 6-8 cups of day old bread cut into 1” cubes*

- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

- 1 teaspoon black pepper

- ½ teaspoon garlic powder

- ½ teaspoon onion powder

- ¼ teaspoon paprika

- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

*This is roughly ½ loaf of long French or Italian bread.

Directions:

1. Cube bread and spread on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle spices evenly over bread. Toss to evenly distribute seasoning.

2. Place in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until bread turns a pale golden color and are fully toasted. Give them a shake once halfway through cooking time. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Printable Recipe

What kind of crouton flavors do you like?

POLL: What should I make for dinner tonight?

Tonight we're grilling an awesome pork chop recipe that I hope to share with you guys in the next few days. I'd like your input on how to prepare one of the sides!

I have potatoes, smoked gouda, and pancetta that need to be used. I can't decide if I want to make twice-baked potatoes, au gratin, or just mashed potatoes with the gouda and pancetta.

Which would you choose? Leave your vote in the comments below, and I'll make the winner and share the recipe (or what went wrong, if it fails) soon.

If it helps, steamed broccoli will be our veggie.