So maybe this is a no-brainer. Don’t go anywhere- I do think there’s something valuable in this post besides a tasty recipe for bean dip.

Mexican moms have been cutting up leftover tortillas to make chips and chilaquiles for millions of years. Well maybe not millions, but a long time. They do it partially to be frugal but also those left over tortillas make the BEST tasting chips. Below is a description of how I turned some really awful tortillas into some tasty chips to go with bean dip.

Before I get to the recipe, the point I really wanted to make here is that you can often turn bad things into good things with a little creativity. Stale bread makes great croutons, french toast and bread pudding. Leftover meat can be chopped for tacos or sliced for sandwiches. Just be creative- but don’t go too far. Any way you “slice” it, rotten meat is rotten meat.

Ok, now on to the recipe…

I had these Brown Rice tortillas from Trader Joes that were bad- and I mean really bad. I ate a few but neglected them in the fridge for a week and a half because I couldn’t bear the thought of another crumbly wrap.

I cut them up with scissors into strips and then put them on a foil-lined baking sheet.

A little nonstick spray and 10 minutes at 350F turned them into really tasty chips.

They really did rival store-bought tortilla chips but with much less fat and I didn’t waste the tortillas. I celebrated by making a bean dip to go along:

Spicy Garlic and Chipotle Bean Dip

I love canned chipotles in adobo. They keep in the panty forever, are cheap and a tiny bit goes a long way. Oh yeah- they taste AWESOME! How’s that for a frugal ingredient! I love to pair chipotles with garlic like I did in this bean dip. I also love chipotles, garlic and mayo as a dip for steamed artichokes.

1 can of refried beans. Look for low or no fat varieties.

1 or 2 chipotles in adobo. A can usually has at least 8-10. They’re HOT so go easy!

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

2T oil

Salt and pepper

That’s all there is. Just blend it all up so the chipotles mostly disappear and then microwave until it’s hot. You WILL make this again.

Let me know if you found a creative use for something that was going bad!