The Last Thing To Do Before Throwing Out Leftover Chips

It's always a bit of a dilemma when you realize you've had your fill of chips after you've eaten the majority of the bag. And then there's that pile of crumbs stuck in the bottom which still taste delicious but are pretty hard to eat unless you awkwardly drink them. So what should you do? Instead of letting extra chips go to waste or leaving yourself with unsatisfying leftovers, you can turn your favorite flavored chips into seasoning dust for your other snacks.

Whether you're a fan of cool ranch, barbecue, cheddar, spicy jalapeño, or pizza flavored chips, odds are the savory taste from those bits would go well on top of another dish. You can do this by crunching up those bottom of the bag crumbles and pour them into a clean pepper mill to grind over whatever else might need an extra burst of flavor. This can range from veggies, to mac and cheese, to popcorn, or as a crust on fish or chicken. 

If you're going to attempt this homemade seasoning hack, you need to make sure you have a clean and dry pepper mill or salt grinder. These tools can get clogged if they get too much moisture in them, which could come from chip oil, so make sure to clean your grinder between flavors of chips if you do this more than once. 

The best way to do this is with a clean, dry paint brush or soft-bristled marinade brush and a soft towel. Use the brush to get any solid pieces out of the grinder or opening and, if necessary, wipe down the inside with a dry or damp towel, then make sure to give it time to fully dry before refilling it. Salt can create problems in pepper mills which use metal grinding mechanisms, so you may want to try a salt grinder with a ceramic mechanism instead of a pepper mill if your favorite chips are particularly salty. 

If you don't have an extra salt or pepper grinder lying about, that doesn't mean you have to give up on making ranch dusted beans or flamin' hot mac and cheese. You can also get a similar effect by throwing your chips into a coffee bean grinder or blitzing them in a food processor. Then store them in an airtight jar or a shaker like you would with any other seasoning and just add them in as needed.