Gotta Get At This: Lay's USA Kettle Cooked Reduced Fat

How I missed this, I'll never know. But, apparently last summer Lay's USA released new Kettle Cooked Reduced Fat offerings. I just thought they were the same flavors with reduced fat. BUT they actually introduced 2 new flavors into the collection... Sundried Tomato and Parmesan (OMG!!) and Applewood Smoked BBQ.

Both bags contain 40% less fat than regular potato chips. Which is a LOT less fat.
I haven't had Kettle Cooked chips in some time, but they are definitely my favorite line in the US. They have a better Potato taste, and the texture is great. Compared to other Kettle brands they are awesome because they arent SUPER rock hard. I always say that I feel like I am going to break a tooth on most Kettle cooked chips, but Lay's are perfectly crunchy. They also tend to be seasoned better than the regular line. So, Ill have to hunt these down and give them a taste.
Sorry that the news is coming so late, but if you were in the dark like me and just wasn't paying attention, now you know.
The line also includes a 40% less fat version of the Original/ Salted Kettle Chips... which had already been available for a while when these came out.

Lay's Wine Pairings!

Have you ever been snacking on potato chips and wished you had a sommolier in your pocket to guide you on which wine to best pair it with? ME TOO!
Now Lay's Netherlands has taken the stress out of wine pairing your chips by creating this fun and useful guide! This guide pairs the 5 flavors of baked Lay's available in The Netherlands with complimentary wines.
These will probably be comparable to the baked offerings in whatever country you live in also, but because the potato flavor is so different between Baked and Fried I couldn't really tell you if they would pair well with regular Lay's.
So here is what they came up with...

-Barbecue flavored Baked Lay's pair well with Solid Reds such as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon
-Cheese and Onion flavored Baked Lay's pair well with Round and Full Whites such as Alsace or Chardonnay
-Bell Pepper flavored Baked Lay's pair well with Fragrant Whites such as Pinot Grigio or Viognier
-Plain Salted Baked Lay's pair well with Crispy, Fresh Whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Rueda
-Mediteranean Herbs flavored Baked Lay's pair well with Dry Rosés such as Languedoc or Navarra

Have you ever paired Wine and Potato Chips? Let us know what combo worked for you in the comments below!

Lay's USA Cheesy Garlic Bread

Just tried my 2nd bag from the Lay's Do Us A Flavor Finalists... Cheesy Garlic bread. This bag is a TRIP! It tastes spot on like Cheesy Garlic Bread! The potato in this bag seemed to be a bit better quality than the chips in the Chicken and Waffle bag. They aren't as thin and flakey... they're a bit thicker and that gives a tastier texture. The chips practically glow from the yellow seasoning applied to them. It's a little lighter in color than Cheddar seasoning normally is... so the chips just appear tastier when you look in the bag. The smell from the open bag is like those Garlic Breads you buy at the end of the aisle at the supermarket. So yummy. The seasoning itself is in the creamy/cheesy family, like Cheddar or Sour Cream & Onion, but the Garlic gives it a VERY unique kick.
Imagine a split sliced loaf of bread, with thick creamy Garlic butter, and covered in melted luscious cheese... now let that bread sit out until it reaches room temperature... THAT is the taste of this bag. I think everyone will enjoy these, they are just so good. Even non chip fans will go nuts, everyone I shared this with just kept saying things like "No way!" "This is crazy!" and "I want more!"
I think this bag was executed pretty well. I still haven't decided which bag will get my vote however.

Did you guys try Cheesy Garlic Bread yet? What did you think? Let us know in the comments section below!

Lay's Do Us A Flavor: Meet the Finalists

Lay's Canada Do Us A Flavour Contest

Lay's Canada is now getting in on the "Do Us A Flavour!" fun!! Create the next Lay's flavor and you can win $50,000 CAD PLUS 1% of sales. That 1% makes this potentially one of the best prizes Lay's has given out! If your flavor sells well, the earnings could be insane! I have really high hopes this contest is going to produce some exciting flavors. Canada already gets some of the best flavors; Ketchup, Pickles, Bacon, and Fries & Gravy, to name a few... so I expect some unique eats. And the great thing is, as our neighbor to the north, it should be a bit easier to track down the winner here in the States.

Can't wait to see how this turns out!!

PS, I love that Martin Short is the spokesperson! Love him!!

Lay's USA Chicken & Waffles

I ran out like a crazy person today looking for these little beauties... and let me say, they were well worth the hunt :)
The first bag we have from the Lay's Do Us A Flavor USA contest is Chicken & Waffles.
No joking.
Chicken... AND... Waffles.

I popped this bag open and breathed in what I am calling the GREATEST potato-chip-bag-smell EVER!
This bag smells exactly like Disneyland Churros! I kid you not.
It has a smell like sugar and brown sugar on something fried... mmm.
Now, the chip itself is mediocre, the potato slices are riddled with burnt spots and inconsistencies. And it's potato flavor is on the low end of the spectrum. But, as I've noted before, that can be helpful in pulling off crazy flavors that involve bread. The plain tasting chip fills in for the Waffle, without muddying up the flavor with too much potato-y-ness. The chips were all even sizes, which was nice. Lastly, the chips felt rather thin, the texture was borderline flakey. So, for me, the potato was a weak point.
BUT, what the potato itself lacks, the seasoning more than makes up for. I give HUGE props to Lay's for not killing these chips with seasoning. To me, this bag had spot on seasoning. It can often be heavyhanded, but in this case, the seasoning hit the right notes.
First, you get the sweet, syrup-y taste. It seemed to me like Churro seasoning, I believe Brown sugar. (I should go read the ingredients ASAP, duh). Then after that you get the strong spiced chicken seasoning. As soon as I tasted it, I instantly got flashbacks to Lay's France's "Poulet Roti et Thym" (Roast Chicken and Thyme). When I say flashbacks I mean a full photocopy of the flavor in that bag. I would call this Poulet Roti et Thym et Brown Sugar... for real! Even down to the flakey thin texture of the chips, this is like a sister of that bag. I want to make that clear because that flavor is very different from Walker's "Roast Chicken" or Margarita's "Pollo". Those are the more commonly seen Chicken flavors, which to me are a lot smoother and more delicate. Those taste more like the juicy white meat of a chicken breast. This flavor, the spiced Chicken, has more kick to it. It's just not as delicate and has zing that comes from being combined with the spices. More like a Fried Chicken dredged through a spiced flour mix might have.

The aroma that comes out of this bag just makes it SO much fun to eat. I really enjoyed snacking on these, and I had to slap my dad's hand away when I saw he was devouring them all. It may not be a bag that has a long life on shelves past the novelty of this contest... but for me it was fun to try and will be a welcome treat while it is available.
I still have 2 more flavors to taste before I declare a favorite, but this one is definitely in my top 3 ;P

If you guy's have tried it, let me know what you thought in the comments section below. Did anyone else smell Churros? I gotta know!

Lay's Do Us A Flavor Contest Finalists Revealed!

THEY'RE HERE!!
Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Lay's USA Do Us A Flavor Finalists have finally been revealed and they are BASICALLY the best 3 flavors I've ever heard of.

Drumroll please...

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Chicken & Waffles

 

Sriracha

Wow. I am just So impressed with these finalists. For awhile, reading all the potential contenders online like "Beer Battered Onion Rings" I thought this contest was going to be a let down, but seeing who was ultimately chosen has now gotten me excited. These are flavors that I think reflect uniquely American tastes (yes, I know Sriracha is Thai, but it is beloved here in the states on every type of food). 

Firstly, we've got "Cheesy Garlic Bread", one of my all time favorite foods. Rich, decadent, garlic-y, buttery, cheesy, bread... mmmm. To me, its the ultimate comfort food; just fat and carbs. It's as authentically Italian as The Olive Garden, but lord knows, when I order Italian take-out food, I'm getting Garlic Bread lol. I don't know how it will play on chips though. I've said it before, the chips here in the States lack a lot of potato flavor, and are great for emulating bread. So I could see this chip tasting more like a garlic and cheddar flavored chip... with a cheesy flavor like we already get on cheddar chips and the addition of garlic, with the chip playing the place of bread. But that's my speculation.

Then there is "Chicken & Waffles"; "Chicken & Waffles" are an American soul-food classic. Hot, fresh, waffles, covered in syrup, served with crispy, spiced, crunchy, Fried Chicken...yummmmmm. These are a novelty here in Los Angeles, but across the Southern states these are a staple. I imagine again, that the chip will play the part of the waffle in this bag... then all they need to do is hit it with some chicken flavor and something sweet. This has the potential to be insanely good. I love the combo of sweet and savory. Can't wait to try it!

Lastly, there is "Sriracha". Everyone I know has a bottle of this in their house. Period. Sriracha is a Thai hot-sauce made of chili paste, garlic paste, sugar, and salt. Although it was originally made in Thailand to spice up seafood dishes, here in California it can be found in Asian restaurants, Mexican restaurants, and anything in between. We usually use the "Tương Ớt Sriracha" brand with the rooster on the front and the green lid. That's not necessarily a brand we need to see alongside it though, like "Heinz" Ketchup,... knowing  the flavor is "Sriracha" is enough to stir up memories of hot, spicy, tangy, deliciousness. I can imagine this one will have the most authentic flavor, because it's just a seasoning that needs to be applied to the chips, but we'll have to see.

I can't wait to start the hunt for these, and then hoard my favorite flavor in case it doesn't win lol.

So far so good America! Happy Hunger Games!

IM SO EXCITED, YOU DONT EVEN KNOW!! o_0

Margarita Colombia Onduladas Sabor A Crema & Especias

YUMM. These are the bomb dot com.
Here is a bag of Margarita Onduladas aka Ruffles, in Sour Cream and Spices. It's basically Sour Cream and Onion... actually, it's basically the BEST Sour Cream and Onion EVER. Margarita makes my favorite chips worldwide, and these do NOT disappoint. Their potatoes are always perfectly cooked, full of flavor, and never have burnt spots. The rich, yummy, potato flavor always shines through. The Ruffle style chips are thicker than the sliced variety, crunchier, and pack more potato flavor. The spices are visible on the chips and give a strong but simple flavor. The flavor is the perfect blend of a creamy sour cream and herbs with an oniony/sour tang. I'm telling you, if you are a Sour Cream and Onion fan, this is the PERFECT bag. It's just so yummy and well made. I'm pretty stoked that I have another bag of these waiting to get demolished in my kitchen. It's just SO good! Hunt these down and do what you gotta do!