Can you make a delicious potatoes au gratin using Lays potato chips, cream, and gruyere cheese?
I tried the official recipe to find out!
Simply Recipes / Sara Bir
Some recipes have to be made so you can be believed.
Simply Recipes / Sara Bir
Lays 3-ingredient potato chips au gratin was one of those recipes.
It sounded too good to be true.
And too outrageous to be good.
Simply Recipes / Sara Bir
What did swapping out slices of fresh potato for Lays potato chips change about a gratin?
The recipe was a dare.
Would making it be a waste of time?
I decided to find out.
Who Came Up With the Lays Potato Chip Gratin Recipe?
Its three cups of heavy cream,two bagsof Classic Lays chips, and a hearty dose of Gruyere.
So I recruited my daughter to make the potato chip gratin after school one day.
The recipe is a lot like traditionalpotatoes au gratin.
The biggest difference is you skip the step of simmering raw potato slices in cream.
Oh, and potato chips are fried.Hugedifference there.
There were some speed bumps when we made it.
After warming the cream, we dumped it over the potato chips in a bowl as instructed.
The chips quickly softened and lost enough volume to fit in a baking dish.
She plopped cheese on top and shoved it in the oven.
Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen smelled amazingof toasty potatoes and melty cheese.
We let the gratin sit a few minutes before helping ourselves to samples.
The first bite tasted of hot cheese; the second, of soggy stale potatoes.
The cheese is good, my daughter said.
I felt very unhealthy after just one bite of this, she reflected.
We gamely went back ten minutes later for another go.
Our tentative forkfuls confirmed it.
For her creativity, I tip my hat to Maria Soler.
To be fair, its probably inoffensive when served in small portions with a meal.
To me,tuna noodle casserolejust isnt complete without a generous topping of potato chips, preferably Ruffles.
I recommend that you enjoy potato chips in all of the ways that accentuate their best characteristics.
Just dont blow 25 bucks on this gratin.
Youll need:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Empty the potato chips into a large bowl.
Seriously, the bowl needs to be REALLY big.
Put the cream in a medium saucepan.
Add a little garlic, black pepper, or nutmeg.
I dunno, just wing it.
Probably youre just as well off not adding that stuff.
Over medium heat, warm the cream until its just under a boil.
Pour the warm cream over the chips.
Gently stir with a large spoon until the chips are evenly coated.
In just a few minutes they will soften and collapse like confused cereal.
Sprinkle on half of the cheese.
Top with the remaining chips, and then the remaining cheese.
Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Store leftovers in the compost and go buy a fresh bag of chips to snack on.
