Holiday Tortilla Crisps Recipes

HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS

Steps:

• Collect the tortillas into 2 tall stacks and cut into 6 even wedges. If frying your tortilla chips, proceed to Step 2. If baking your tortilla chips, proceed to Step 3.
• To fry your tortilla chips, line 2 large baking sheets with paper towels. Set aside. Fill a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet with about 1/2 inch vegetable oil (about 4 cups). Heat over medium until the oil reaches about 350 degrees and is hot but not smoking, 6 to 10 minutes. You can see if it's ready by dipping a tortilla wedge into the hot oil. It should bubble immediately and enthusiastically. Gently add enough tortilla wedges to fill the skillet in a single layer without crowding, and fry for about 1 minute per side, using a spider or a slotted spoon to flip them over, until lightly golden and crisp. (Do not allow them to brown too much or they will taste bitter.) Using the spider or slotted spoon, transfer the chips to the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle immediately with salt, so it adheres to the glistening chips. Repeat until all chips are cooked, transferring cooled chips to a large bowl and replacing the paper towels as needed. (Let the remaining oil cool to room temperature, then strain and transfer to a bottle to reuse it for future deep frying.)
• To bake your tortilla chips, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. Brush 2 large baking sheets with oil or spray with cooking spray. Working in batches, scatter the tortilla wedges on top in a single layer without crowding too much. (The chips should barely overlap.) Lightly brush or spray the tops with oil or cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, remove from the oven, flip the chips and return to the oven, until lightly browned and crisp, another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Immediately sprinkle with salt to taste, so the salt will stick to the chips. Repeat with remaining chips.

BAKED TORTILLA CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut each tortilla into 8 chip sized wedges and arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
• In a mister, combine the oil and lime juice. Mix well and spray each tortilla wedge until slightly moist.
• Combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the chips.
• Bake for about 7 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes or until the chips are crisp, but not too brown. Serve with salsas, garnishes or guacamole.

TORTILLA CRISPS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except for the tortillas.
• Spread each tortilla with a thick layer of the spread.
• It will seem like a lot of topping, but it is just right.
• Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges.
• Put on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are crisp and brown.
• Serve hot or cold.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS

Steps:

• Dry the tortillas: The tortilla chips will fry better if they are a bit dried out first. Either leave the whole tortillas out overnight, exposed to air so they are stale the next day, or dry them out a bit in the oven or microwave. To dry them in the oven: lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 5 minutes or 200°F for 10 minutes. Or lay them out in a single layer (working in batches) on a paper towel in a microwave oven and microwave them for 20 to 60 seconds, depending on how strong your microwave is and how many tortillas you are drying. You don't want them crisp at this point, just as dry as they would be if you left them out overnight.
• Cut each tortilla into 6 triangle shaped wedges
• Heat the oil in the pan: Pour oil into a medium skillet to a depth of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. (Make sure you are working with a completely dry pan or the oil will sputter as it heats.) Heat the oil on medium high heat until a small piece of tortilla placed in the oil sizzles, about 350°F. (This is where an infrared thermometer comes in handy!) If a small tester piece of tortilla browns too quickly, the oil is too hot. Remove the pan from heat to let the oil cool a bit before continuing.
• Fry the tortilla chips: Place a paper towel on a large plate and have several other paper towels ready. Place a handful of tortilla triangles into the hot oil, in a single layer. Use metal tongs, a metal slotted spoon, or long wooden chopsticks to distribute the tortilla triangles. Be sure they aren't overlapping and that all sides get coated with oil. Fry for about 2 minutes until the chips just begin to lightly brown and get firm, and are no longer pliable.
• Move chips to a paper-towel-lined plate: Use the tongs, slotted spoon or wooden chopsticks, remove the chips from the oil to the paper-towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Place another paper towel over the top of the chips to be ready for the next batch. (Note that as soon as you put the tortilla triangles into the hot oil, because you are working with such a small volume of oil, the oil temperature will lower. You can compensate for this by increasing the heat to high. As soon as the chips begin to color, reduce the heat to low, so the oil doesn't overheat in between batches.) Continue to cook the chips, working in batches, placing the freshly fried chips over a new layer of paper towel each time, and sprinkling with salt. When the chips are all fried, pat any excess oil from them with a fresh paper towel, and eat! These chips are best eaten when warm and freshly made.
• Preheat the oven and cut tortilla chips: Preheat the oven to 350°F. While the oven preheats, cut the tortillas into wedges
• Place on baking sheet: Spread the tortilla wedges out on a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Bake: Bake the tortilla wedges for about 6 minutes, then use tongs to turn the wedges over. Sprinkle with a little salt, and bake for another 6 to 9 minutes, until they are just beginning to color. Remove from the oven and let cool. Sprinkle with more salt to serve.
• Cut the tortillas into wedges:
• Line your microwave: Use a paper towel to line the bottom of the microwave.
• Microwave the chips: Working in batches if necessary, spread the tortilla wedges over the paper towel in a single layer, with an inch or so between the wedges. Microwave until the tortilla chips are crispy, but not burnt. The time will vary depending on the strength of your microwave and how many tortillas you are cooking. In our microwave, it's about a little less than 1 minute per tortilla. But start at half of that and add time as needed. Sprinkle with salt to serve. Great with guacamole .

TORTILLA CHEESE CRISPS

Steps:

• Shred the cheese if you have bricks of cheese. Mix the cheeses together in a bowl.
• Lay out the corn tortillas on a baking sheet.
• Turn the oven to broil 400°F.
• Sprinkle 1 oz. of green chilies on the tortilla if desired.
• Evenly distribute the cheese on all four tortillas right to the edge of each one.
• Place the sliced pimientos on each tortilla if desired.
• Place the baking pan about four inches from the broiler. Broil about 2-3 minutes Until cheese is melted.
• Take out, slice if desired. Use a sharp knife.
• Note: To make a complete meal, sprinkle browned drained hamburger or turkey burger on each tortilla first, then the chilies, cheese and pimientos. This recipe is a meal stretcher and kids love it.
• Pass the sour cream or guacamole.

HOLIDAY TORTILLA CRISPS

Steps:

• Lay tortillas on nonstick baking sheets. Mix sugar & cinnamon. Brush tortillas with butter. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Bake at 350 until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. For more fun, use holiday cookie cutters to cut tortillas into shapes.