Food Hack: Torchy's Tacos Chips

I love tortilla chips. Too much, really. I eat too many when I eat out at Mexican restaurants (or Chili’s). I take any leftovers home and stick ’em in the fridge for chilaquiles the next morning.

One dilemma I encountered when trying to reduce the amount of plastic I throw out is store-bought tortilla chips. No matter how I purchase them, I’m throwing out quite a bit of plastic per serving.

Enter Torchy’s Tacos. First of all, I absolutely love their chips. They are perfectly salted, crispy, and just a bit greasy. They also come in paper bags when you order them to go. AND, you can get extra bags of chips for $1. ONE DOLLAR! What a deal. Most chips in the store are in plastic bags mostly filled with air. With Torchy’s, you can buy a stuffed paper sack of fresh, wonderful chips for $1. (Just be sure to ask Torchy’s to give ’em to you without their ginormous to go order plastic bags).

I grab 3-4 bags any time I go to Torchy’s. They stay crispy in the fridge for at least a week, longer if you store them in a sealed container. Thank me later when you try my favorite breakfast chilaquiles recipe below:

Drifter Life Chilaquiles

1. Crush some tortilla chips (preferably Torchy’s) in a bowl.
2. Fry up a couple eggs – I prefer just butter, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of cheese over the top to cook into the egg.
3. Don’t overcook – the gooey center is the best part when mixed with the chips. I cook mine on high-medium until the whites start to bubble a bit, and then I flip them and take the skillet off the heat.
4. Flip once, toss into the bowl of chips.
5. Top with salsa, beans, some avocado, maybe some more cheese, and, if you got it when you got the chips from Torchy’s, some Diablo sauce or creamy poblano.
6. Try not to eat too fast!

Pro tips:

• Not just for breakfast, this can be an anytime meal!
• If you don’t have Torchy’s near you, ask your local Mexican food place or meat market. Bring your own bag if they make them fresh!

There you go. Eat yummy stuff. Save the planet.

Peace and love, y’all.