Tastes From Home with Frito Lay Review and Giveaway

Nothing tastes any better to me than a good potato chip!  Lay's chips have always been my favorite, and recently I have more reasons than ever to snack on a Frito-Lay chip.  Frito Lay now offers a line of Regionally Inspired Flavors!!
"All of the Lay's Regional Flavored potato chips are made with all natural ingredients and cooked in healthier oils, like corn and sunflower oils, which contain 80% or more of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat - the "good fats." They also contain 0 grams of trans fats per serving!   There’s also less sodium in them than you might think – a 1-oz serving of our Lay’s Regional Flavored potato chips contains less salt than a plain bagel!"

The chips come in SEVEN regional favorites:

          o Northeastern U.S. – Lay’s Honey Mustard
          o Midwestern U.S. – Lay’s Creamy Garden Ranch
          o Northwestern U.S. – Lay’s Balsamic Sweet Onion
          o Southwestern U.S. – Lay’s Chipotle Ranch
          o Southeastern U.S. – Lay’s Cajun Herb & Spice

          o Great Lakes Region- Garden Tomato and Basil
          o Eastern Region- Tangy Carolina BBQ

The Tangy Carolina BBQ is awesome!!  It has become our newest favorite!  We also tried the Garden Tomato and Basil chips and really liked the uniqueness of their flavor.  I really want to try the Creamy Garden Ranch, but it is not currently available in NC.  The name alone makes my mouth water...OK Frito Lay, you could at least make it available for a limited time here!!  My hubby is from the west coast, and he really wants to try the Balsamic Sweet Onion, BUT it is not available in NC either....BOO! 

In honor of the release of the regional flavored chips, I was asked to write about my favorite recipe that reminds me of the region I call home and the story behind it.  It took quite a lot of thinking on my part, because nothing reminds me more of home than food...Lots of different ones!  For my entire life, all our family celebrations have revolved around eating, most importantly, eating our favorite foods!  Since I was a child, my grandma has been the one who prepared the food for every large family get together.  Even now, at 83 years old, Grandma will be in the kitchen cooking each family member's favorite food.  Our favorites range from her turkey dressing to macaroni and cheese, or from a pig pickin cake to her delicious punch.

My daughter spends a lot of time with her great grandma, and she is learning all the secrets to preparing Grandma's delicious food.  They share a lot of laughter and bonding time while working in the kitchen.  It is something that Grandma and I would do together during my days spent with her as a child.

My daughter and I cook together often!  We have a great time putting our heads together, trying to figure out how to change recipes to suit our taste buds, and it is so wonderful to realize that we are creating memories.  These memories will last a lifetime!

When I cook for my family, and my extended family, the one dish I get the most requests for is my Macaroni and Cheese Casserole!!  I stick with this recipe, and it is always a big hit.  The recipe is taken from the one my grandma uses, I just added dry mustard and a little more cheese!  On nights that I want a quick and easy complete dinner, I've been known to add 2 cups of diced ham and a small can of peas to this recipe.   I decided to share this recipe with you!

Macaroni and Cheese Casserole (feeds 4)

Ingredients:

     8 ounces elbow macaroni
     2 tablespoons butter
     1/4 cup all-purpose flour
     1 tsp dry mustard
     2 cups milk
     1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese or Colby-Jack
     8 ounces cubed processed cheese food
    
Directions:

   1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook elbow macaroni until al dente. Drain.
   2. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat melt butter or margarine. Whisk flour and dry mustard, stir vigorously. Add milk and cook until thick and bubbly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add cheeses and stir until completely melted.
   3. In a large bowl mix together the drained pasta and cheese sauce mixture. Toss to coat evenly.
   4. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Let stand before serving.


Are there any regional dishes that you like to prepare?  If you try my recipe, make sure you leave me a comment and let me know if you kept it the same, or how you made it your own!

Want to win a variety pack of our Lay’s Regional Flavors potato chips?  Simply enter below in the rafflecopter form!






Disclosure: This post was written as a part of the Tastes from Home with Frito-Lay recipe contest. Frito-Lay will you with the chips for participating. This blog post is a form of entry for the contest. All opinions stated are my own, or are those of my family members. I was not monetarily compensated for this post!