Add Chips For Better Flavor And Crunchy Texture In Potato Salad

If you love that sensation of licking your fingers at the bottom of a bag of chips, you're going to appreciate the result when you add them to your favorite potato salad recipe. You'll achieve the same deep satisfaction because our noses play a significant role in interpreting the foods we eat. Potato chips have many flavors and these tastes evoke strong physical and psychological reactions with their familiar aromas. 

In fact, food scientists who determine the exact balance of salt and seasonings on chips want us to retrieve a sensory memory of barbecue, jalapenos, or cheddar. It's as if we are compressing the entire experience of a dish, its intricacies, and elusiveness, into one tiny slice of this crispy snack. So with the addition of chips to the mix, your guests are more likely to interpret the culinary experience they're about to have as pleasant and delicious. Now it's up to you — the secret to your potato salad with chips ultimately rests with which type you choose for your dish. 

Perhaps you want to start with a classic chip. That means tried-and-true Idaho potatoes would match it well. Dress the mixture with mayo, and toss in some finely chopped pickles and red onions. You've created a homemade, crunchy, delicious potato salad that your relatives will remember for years.

Want to try a potato salad that has more crunchy zing? Jalapeño cheddar chips combined with red potatoes will add fire and excitement to your potato salad. To try this version, make a dressing of grated cheddar cheese, thinly sliced radish, ranch dressing, sour cream, and a diced jalapeño or two. Crumble more chips on top for a final blast of flavor. 

Or perhaps you're one of the many fans of puckery salt and vinegar chips. If so, you'll definitely want to incorporate your crispy snacks into a German-style potato salad with Yukon gold potatoes, chopped celery, green onions, and a vinegar-based dressing made with bacon drippings. The tangy acidity awakens all the other flavors and is quite crowd-pleasing. Whichever version you ultimately try, you really can't go wrong with these mouthwatering options.