5 Yummy Recipes Using Tortilla Chips
Another holiday get-together is in the bag, and the party cleanup is done. And…. thanks to the generosity of our guests, we have about 10 bags of leftover tortilla chips. Now I am a true Texan, and chips and salsa practically run through my veins, but even I am hard pressed to eat 10 bags of chips in the standard chip-and-dip fashion before they go stale. So, I’m pulling out some easy, tasty, and family-pleasing recipes using tortilla chips to finish them off.
1. Hearty Dinner Nachos
This tortilla chip recipe can easily take care of one large bag if you’re serving a family of 4-6. I divide the chips among oven-safe plates (like the uber-tough Vitrelle collection by Corelle), top with taco-seasoned ground meat or fajita meat, add cheese, then melt the cheese in the oven or microwave for a few minutes. Finish off with usual nacho suspects, diced tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, black olives, diced avocado or guacamole, and jalapenos for the adventurous.
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2. Classic Taco Salad
The same ingredients as above, but in different proportions. Fill dinner-sized salad bowls with shredded lettuce, tomato, and avocado, top with taco or fajita seasoned meat, add shredded cheese, dot with sour cream (and/or guacamole), and line the edge with a generous helping of tortilla chips.
Serve with your favorite salsa for dressing, or try my go-to flavor twist, ranch dressing with a dash of chopped pickled jalapenos for extra zest.
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3. Tortilla Chip Soup
I discovered this secret out of desperation years ago when making tortilla soup. I reached for some white corn tortillas. These are a staple in my fridge and the thickener for my soup base, and I found that I was fresh out. I grabbed a half-full bag of tortilla chips, crumbled them into my soup, crossed my fingers, and waited to see if they would melt in and thicken the broth like my trusty tortillas. Voila… the soup was perfect, and the chips added a toasty flavor that I didn’t get from tortillas.
To make this savory soup, just whip up a basic chicken and vegetable soup (I use leftover roast chicken, chicken broth or bullion, onions, carrots, corn, and celery) then I add a dose of garlic powder and cumin, a can each of diced tomatoes and diced green chiles, then crumble in several handfuls of corn chips (soft corn tortillas work too!). Simmer until the veggies are soft and the corn chips have melted to make a hearty broth.
4. Mexican Lasagna (*ahem* Casserole)
Any layered Tex-Mex concoction appearing in my house is now officially known as “Mexican Lasagna,” thanks to a very clever nephew who dined with us years ago when I whipped up a yummy King Ranch Chicken. But Mexican Lasagna… Casserole… whatever… is another way to use up leftover tortilla chips. There are many variations, so I’ll just point you to a few of my favorite recipes online:
Tip: I find that any lasagna-type dish, Mexican, Italian, or your own concoction, cooks up best in a deeper casserole dish. Here’s a best-selling brand on Amazon that I particularly like.
135 oz Ceramic Pan with Handles, Oven Safe for Baking, Red
5. Oven-Baked Crispy Tortilla Chicken Strips
Another meal with several variations on a theme. Here are two recipes I’ve used, and both are good, but I think the Spicy or Nacho Doritos version is my preference (especially when dipped in Ranch dressing – yumm!), and using mayonnaise in the coating adds a richer flavor than just milk and egg.
But try both if you need to use up those leftover chips and see what you think!
- Recipe for plain chips: Crunchy Tortilla Chip Chicken Fingers
- Recipe for Doritos (with mayonnaise in the coating): Dorito Chicken Taco Fingers
