Condiment Chip Consumption Craze

Hot Mustard & Tangy Ketchup Doritos

What is up with condiment themed chips? 

Herr's was the first brand I noticed, they announced a line of boldly flavored chips meant to be added to sandwiches, "Sandwichips." They are currently available and come in four flavors: mustard, ketchup, spicy pickle, and sweet onion. As someone who likes adding chips to their sandwiches, I like the idea, but I am skeptical about their flavor pay off. If you have the mustard chips, do you still add actual mustard? Normally I find adding chips to my sandwiches is more-so a texture thing than a flavor one. And what about ketchup? Is that meant to go on Burgers? What other "sandwich" do you eat with ketchup? Hot dogs? Are hot dogs a sandwich? (I say no. Also, ketchup on hot dogs after the age of 12 is a crime.)

Then Doritos got in on the action with a ketchup and mustard duo of their own. No application gimmick, just condiment flavors for chippy consumption. Mustard, I get. Especially with a name like "hot mustard." It makes me think the the spicy mustard packets that came with our Chinese take-out. Which could be great in tortilla-chip-form. But...ketchup? 

"It's as if a standard sour cream and onion chip took a trip down the condiment aisle"

Lay's Wavy Cuban Sandwich (Limited Time Flavor) - Walmart

In college, I worked at Panera Bread, and it was awesome. Mainly because of our epic work-family, (imagine a soup and sandwich version of Empire Records), but the food was pretty great too. I still eat there today, (which is something I can't say for another food-related job I had as a teen). Panera will always hold a special place in my heart, and my stomach. I like to recreate stuff in my kitchen all the time. Especially the older discontinued stuff, like their Cuban chicken panini. 

Americanized as it was, it was my first experience with the sandwich, and I loved it. The Panera take had focaccia bread, sweet and spicy pickle chips (closest I have found are the horse radish pickle chips from Aldi),  ham, chicken, tomato-based-whole-grain-mustard, chipotle mayo and swiss cheese, all toasted in the panini press. It is a pretty far cry from a legit Cuban sandwich, but I didn't know that back then. 

A legit Cuban has: ham, roasted pork (not chicken), salami, swiss cheese, mustard and pickles. Which looks like what this chip flavor is based on. The real deal. So, which take will taste more legit? My bastardized Panera sandwich of choice, or these chips? 

Hot Diggity Dog Pringles - Walgreens

Hot Diggity Dog Pringles - Walgreens

Hot Dog flavored chips sound like a terrible idea, right? At least I thought so. When I saw these in Walgreens for the first time I nearly gagged at the thought of a mystery meat hot dog flavored chip, and I passed them by without thinking twice about my missed review opportunity, but then a few of my fellow foodies, like The Impulsive Buy, and Junk Food Guy wrote their reviews. After seeing what they had to say I decided to give these chips a chance, and I am SO happy I did.