It seems there are always a bunch of crumbs at the bottom of the tortilla chips bag. Right now, I have the remnants of 2 bags of chips. Is there anything I can do with these? I'm interested in recipes or quick tricks.

THANKS!
Laura in NM

I have made these camping and they are GREAT!! My girls loved them (I did omit the cayenne pepper in their batch though!)


TORTILLA CRUNCH CHICKEN FINGERS
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1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1 C. crushed tortilla chips
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (I just bought 2 pkgs of chicken tenders to save the hassle of cutting them)
2 T. butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
2 T. water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.

Combine dry onion soup mix, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, cumin, and finely crushed tortilla chips; set aside. Beat together egg and water; set aside.

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 1/2- x 3-inch strips. Dip strips in egg then into tortilla chip/spice mixture, coating well. Arrange in a single layer on prepared baking dish; drizzle with butter. Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, or until chicken is done and topping is golden and crispy.

__________________

Friends are like butt cheeks.
Crap might separate them,
But they always come back together.

Here is a recipe that I'd almost forgotten about. When our kids were still at home this was a favorite. Here goes:

Tortilla Crunch Chicken Fingers

1 envelope Lipton Fiesta Herb/w Red Pepper Soup
1 cup finely crushed plain tortilla chips
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
1 egg
2 TBSP. water
2 TBSP. melted margarine or butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine soup mix and crushed chips. In a large plastic bag or bowl, combine chicken and egg that has been beaten with the water, coating well. Then dip the chicken in tortilla mixture, coating well. In a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch jelly roll pan, sprayed with PAM, arrange chicken; drizzle with margarine. Bake uncovered for 12 minutes or until chicken is done. Makes about 24 chicken strips. Serve with your favorite fresh or prepared salsa. We liked ours with ketchup or barbecue sauce too. Enjoy!

We put the small chips and crumbs in the bottom of a bowl, top with hot chili and cheese. Have done that for years! It's yummy! Even better with Fritos, but I like tortilla chips just fine. Was taught this recipe when I was in Girl scouts (SEVERAL years ago :-)

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Amanda (Northern California)

This one is easy because you prepare it according to taste.

5 to 6 medium zucchini, sliced in rounds
olive oil
1 14½-ounce can of tomatoes, chopped
fresh cilantro, finely chopped, to taste
jarred jalapeno peppers, minced, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Monterey Jack cheese, grated, to taste
tortilla chip crumbs
melted butter
(grilled chicken, different grilled vegetables,
and seasonings could be used)

Preheat oven to 350* degrees.

Drizzle the zucchini with olive oil, season with
salt and pepper and grill until crisp-tender.

In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes,
cilantro, peppers, and salt and pepper. Mix well
and heat throughly.

Put half the zucchini into a greased casserole
dish. Spoon half of the tomato mixture on top.
Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers.
Sprinkle crumbs evenly over the top and drizzle
with butter.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese
has melted and the crumbs are lightly browned.

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Brad does this, too--he calls it "spoonable nachos!"

You can crush them up and use them as a topping for a casserole~like tuna casserole.

Kathie

Thanks for all your suggestions. I printed out your recipes and ideas to add to my recipe binder. I did use some tortilla chips crumbs as a topping like tomkat013 suggested. I used it on top of white chili. DH said he like that since it was something different. I look forward to trying NightFlier's and janenga's recipes. I'd love to try gkeeker's recipe, too, but I have never seen Lipton Fiesta Herb/w Red Pepper Soup -- where can I find this?
Thanks for all your suggestions!
Laura in NM