I participated in an
Ambassador Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Lay’s. I
received a promotional item to thank me for participating.
Momma Told Me: Let the ingredients guide you.
When it comes to food, some of my favorite dishes aren't made in fast food corporate meetings, or family dining restaurants. They often don't have official recipes, relying on a pinch of this and a handful of that, and were more often than not stumbled upon by sheer accident. Two styles of dishes especially known for this format are those labeled as 'meatloaf' or 'casserole.' By nature, these two dishes are literally defined by the almost haphazard collection of leftover or on hand ingredients. That's precisely how 'Momma's Casserole' was defined at my childhood dining table. The ingredients were always changing, but, somehow, it still had that signature flavor, and hint of love, that made it so special.
When I was 14, my parents got divorced and I took it upon myself to prepare dinner for my father, after school, several days a week. Since I did not do the grocery shopping, and I had limited kitchen skills, this often meant melting down my favorite ingredients into what my father called a 'goulash.' A favorite Friday night version included cream cheese, a dash of Sriracha, and a helping portion of peanut butter simmered over thin slices of chicken breast. Momma would have never let this recipe fly as 'healthy' cooking in her kitchen, but it was just the comfort food needed for a teenage daughter and father living on their own. With several warm memories of this 'Peanut Chicken,' I have since developed the recipe with more of a Thai twist over coconut milk rice, for my own family.
Of course, recipe or not, one of my favorite things about cooking is actually being in the kitchen with the ingredients. Like many, when I find a tried and true recipe, I often work to add my own twist to favorite dishes over time. Some of my favorite recipes have, naturally, been featured here on the blog. There's no shortness of sweets with dishes like Lemon Meringue Pie with Blackberry Compote, Red Velvet Cheesecake, and Potato Chip Brownies (taken from my Potato Chip Recipe Series.) More recently I used a crispy chicken helper to coat some chicken strips and re-invent traditional Sushi in my Crispy Chili Lime Chicken Sushi! For even more of my favorite recipes, and savory photos, check out
Momma's Recipes Tab, above!
Of course, surprisingly good flavor inspiration can come from a variety of places, and nobody knows this like Lay's. With their Original, Wavy, and Kettle Cooked chip varieties sold worldwide in dozens of mouthwatering flavors, they're once again on the hunt for the next best thing in a foil bag. Their fan favorite Do Us A Flavor contest challenges fans to submit their unique 'must have' chip flavor, for a chance to see it made into a real chip. Last year's three American finalists, Chicken and Waffles, Sriracha, and
Cheesy Garlic Bread saw their flavors made into real distributed chips,
and this year the competition is back with a $1 Million grand prize (
See Rules). The grand prize winner from last year is enjoying their crunchy success with a permanent addition to the Lay's lineup- Cheesy Garlic Bread, sold nationwide!
So, Lay's and I want to know- What's your most flavorful dish? Maybe it's your grandma's recipe for Coffee Strudel; hey, sweet and salty works for chips too! Perhaps you have a sorority pizza combination from your college days you'd love to share with the world. No flavor is too big, no recipe too obscure for the Do Us A Flavor competition. So now through April 5, 2014, be sure to log on to the
Do Us A Flavor platform and submit your nominations for the next great chip flavor; Lay's just might decide to make your snacking dreams come true. Feeling a little uninspired? Browse the gallery of submitted flavors and vote on them in the Flavor Showdown; just don't do it hungry, you've been warned!
Do you have a favorite accidental recipe?
What Daughter Says: Great ingredients inspire great flavors, sometimes all you need is a little inspiration to create a new favorite recipe.
