After what has been a very busy and productive July, I can say I finally had a great weekend of relaxation and bonding with my new couch! Netflix has been very good to me these last two days, and I only had to make three trips to the store. Yep, that’s right – three! (HA!)

When I interned at the Chamber I got to attend a Chamber Young Professionals (CYP) event called “connectCape.” For this event we partnered with Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) to allow students and area young professionals the chance to participate in a roundtable discussion together. Long story short, it’s a wonderful partnership and I can’t wait to be a part of it’s growth.

Back on track though – I left this event with a little glass jar that has Southeast printed on it and I LOVE it. I fill it with peanut butter M&M’s for when I need that quick sweet bite. I also feel like it really lets me embrace my alumnae status in the new place.

However, with all the relaxing I did this weekend, I binge snacked and it was mostly on sweets. Around 2:00 this afternoon, I was craving some potato chips but was NOT about to make another trip to the store. Then I remembered – I had potatoes!

I am so thrilled to do a food piece. As a millennial, I first handedly see so many people my age eat unhealthy and it kills me. I’ve also found that a lot of the time, they don’t necessarily know how to make much more than Mac ‘N Cheese, and that breaks my heart. I want to help, even if it means sharing the worlds simplest recipes.

Homemade potato chips are a necessity. Everyone needs to know how to make these for multiple reasons:

1. It’s SO easy!
2. They’re so much healthier than the ones in the bag,
3. The flavor potentials are endless, and
4. If you’re anything like me, it’s hard to put the bag down after a “serving.”

So, without further a-do, I bring you my first foodie blog – homemade potato chips!

Preheat Oven to 400°

First of all, my favorite part of this recipe is that there really are no rules. You can use any type of potato, including sweet ones, or you can even try it with fruit! Apple chips, anyone?

I went ahead and peeled my potatoes for visual purposes because on your typical bagged potato, there is no skin. However, I’m totally for leaving the skin on these suckers. It doesn’t alter the flavor one bit.

Next I used this FANTASTIC tool. I actually got it for Christmas last year, and I’m not sure how I ever survived without it. Once I peeled the potatoes I just sliced and they were the perfect size for chips.

The next step is to remove as much water as you can. I first rinsed the slices off and then laid them out on a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture. It actually took me about four rounds of paper towels, so it’s a bit of a process, but totally necessary. We want to make sure our chips soak in all the olive oil we’re about to give them.

Next is flavor time! There are three ingredients that go into any potato chip you ever make – potato, olive oil and salt. What you add in after that is where the fun happens! If you prefer BBQ chips, throw in some dry rub! My mom typically goes with a parmesan flavor. For today, I went basic and just added some italian seasoning and black pepper.

*NOTE: The type of olive oil you use will have an impact on the flavor. I’m all for shopping cheap, but that $1.00 bottle of EVOO is not as flavorful as the more expensive choice. Pick your battles people. Store brand milk and bread in exchange for expensive olive oil? Yes please.

For about 3 small potatoes, I used about a tablespoon of oil. My other seasonings were to my own taste preferences. I combine my potato slices and flavors into a bowl, hand toss it all together, then lay the product on a baking sheet.
From there I bake them around 10-ish minutes, pull the pan out, flip them all, add a little more salt and oil, and pop them back in for another 15.  Depending on how thick or thin you slice them, the oven time will vary. It’s inevitable that some of your chips will brown faster than the others. Also, if you’re someone who likes those random dark chips in the bag, you may have to cook them a little longer.

& then, after a long wait, you have chips! Return to the couch, un-pause Netflix and enjoy your snack. 🙂