Chips and Sandwiches – a perfect pairing!
It should be no surprise that as the World Sandwich Champ – and founder of Sandwich America – I have more of an affinity for the savory than the sweet. Potato chips have long been one of my favorite food groups (along with the sandwich, of course) so when I was asked to be a judge at The Chip Festival in Saratoga Springs – I thought I must be dreaming.
It’s a hard job but somebody has to do it.
The Chip Festival?!?
Yes, you read right.
Why Saratoga Springs? As the story goes – in 1853 a guest at a restaurant kept sending back the potatoes because they weren’t crispy enough. As a last resort the chef sliced the potatoes super thin, deep fried them, and threw on a bunch of salt – to spite the guest. The guest loved them – and, the rest as they say – is history.
And what better pairing with potato chips than – you know it – the sandwich!
We created two delicious sandwich pairings with Wise Chips new Mediterranean inspired Kettle Chips and served up samples to hundreds of sandwich and chip lovers at The Chip Festival.
Read More About the Festival Here
Our chips of choice for the pairings were: Kettle Cooked (40% Reduced Fat) Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Chips and Kettle Cooked (40% Reduced Fat) Bruschetta Chips.
Italian Sub Paired with Wise Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar Kettle Chips
Sandwich America and Wise Chips!
The Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar chips have such a nice tart taste to add that little zing. Our pairing here was simple. We took a traditional Italian hoagie or sub and popped the chips right on top. Be sure to select a bread sturdy enough to hold layers of meat and cheese and, of course, the crispy chip topper. One great tip for building a hoagie that doesn’t slide is to remove some of the bread from the bottom bun creating a well. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom, layer your choice of meats and cheeses (for our version here we chose hard salami, genoa salami, prosciutto, and provolone). Sprinkle on some fresh basil and top with Wise Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Chips.
Yes, put them right on the sandwich!!!
Remove a layer of bread from inside the top bun to finish off your delicious sandwich creation. The Wise Kettle Chips are crisp enough to stand up to the sandwich and the zing of balsamic helps balance the rich meat and cheese.
We recently polled our Sandwich Nation on Social Media to find out how you eat chips and sandwiches. Turns out we are not alone in adding chips onto sandwiches – 63% of people said they put chips right on their sandwiches.
Fun at The Chip Festival with Wise Chips and Sandwich America
Italian Sub
Italian Sub Paired with Wise Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Chips
The Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sandwich Paired with Wise Kettle Cooked Bruschetta Chips
The Perfect Bite
Samples for the Crowd at National Potato Chip Festival
How do you Hoagie?
Sandwich Pairing Party Prize Pack
Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Wise Bruschetta Kettle Chips
Mediterranean Chicken Sandwich
When we first tasted the Wise Kettle Cooked Bruschetta chips they had such a tangy, tomatoey, herby taste. We thought it would balance perfectly with one of our favorite sandwiches…and boy were we right.
One of go to sandwiches here at Sandwich America is a Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Sandwich with pesto, Kalamata olives, oven roasted tomatoes, and goat cheese. We always have the ingredients on hand for a quick sandwich build on a busy night.
If you are short on time you don’t can’t make the pesto – – just use your favorite store bought pesto. Fresh tomatoes or sundried tomatoes are also a great fit in this sandwich, if you don’t have time to roast the tomatoes. If using sundried tomatoes, just be sure to get the kind packed in oil and slice them thin to spread over the sandwich.
Here is how we build this sandwich:
Ingredients:
- 12 inch focaccia or other big bread loaf
- Kale Pesto (recipe below)
- Oven Roasted Tomatoes (recipe below)
- Kalamata Olives
- Herb Grilled Chicken
- Goat Cheese
- Fresh Basil
Slice the bread through the middle. Spread the kale pesto on the bottom half. Top with grilled chicken (you can buy it already grilled and sliced in the grocery store). Top with all the other ingredients (or whatever you want to throw on). Slice into pieces and enjoy paired with Wise Kettle Cooked Bruschetta Chips.
Kale Pesto
We love to make our own kale pesto for this sandwich to add a superfood element. But, if you are short on time, just pick up some prepared pesto in the store and you are good to go.
- 1 small bunch of kale washed and ribs removed
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves raw garlic
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Kosher salt
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
In a food processor, pulse the garlic with 1/2 of the arugula and basil. Grate in the cheese, add in the rest of the greens and drizzle in the olive oil until it reaches the consistency you like. Add in the lemon. Taste, adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
These tomatoes are a staple we have on hand at anytime. There really are no exact measurements for this recipe. Make as many or as few as you want and keep in fridge for a quick addition to flavor up any sandwich or meal.
- Grape or cherry tomatoes (or any tomatoes you have)
- Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
- Fresh Thyme
Spread the tomatoes out on a sheet pan. Drizzle enough olive oil on to lightly coat the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove thyme from stems and sprinkle over tomatoes. Stir to incorporate all flavors together. Bake in 350 oven for about 20 minutes or until tomatoes have burst and are slightly shriveled.
What is your favorite Sandwich and Wise Chip Pairing? We’d love to see how you hoagie. Share your favorites with us. For more information on the Wise Chips we used – and other great flavors – visit them here.
Wise Mediterranean Kettle Chips
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Do you Eat Out or Make it at Home?
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Snap a Pic of your Favorite Sandwich and Tag us @sandwichamerica and #greatamericansandwichtrail to have your favorite sandwich featured
