Snack Chat

Make Guys' Night Legendary with New Ruffles Ultimate Chips and Dips and MAXIM

Most of my more entertaining stories seem to start the same way: "I was out with some of the guys when..." There's something about getting together for guys' night that always seems to bring out some legendary times. Of course, you can't head out for a night with the boys on an empty stomach, which is why I'm excited about Frito-Lay's new Ruffles ULTIMATE potato chips hitting grocery store shelves this month in three flavors - The Original, Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ and Kickin’ Jalapeno Ranch.

The chips rock ridges twice the size and depth of original Ruffles and are loaded with real food flavors. The deeper ridges are perfect for holding up the real chunks of bacon or beef in new Ruffles ULTIMATE Dips — Smokehouse Bacon, available this month, and Beef N’ Cheese, coming in July. The chips and dips are the perfect combo when you're gearing up for an epic night.

To help make your next night with the guys larger than life, the Ruffles brand has also teamed up with MAXIM to give you the chance to take an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to attend MAXIM's Hot 100 party. By sharing your most epic story, you could end up at the hottest bash of the year where you and your buddies will enjoy new Ruffles ULTIMATE potato chips and dips and spend time amongst MAXIM's world's most beautiful women of 2012 and other assorted stars. Add the music of DJ Vice and the scenery of the Dream Downtown Hotel and you've got a night begging to be retold for years.

Check out the contest details here and be sure to head to stores this month to pick up new Ruffles ULTIMATE Chips and Dips. 

- Joe

One Million Miles - It's Electrifying!

In the fall of 2010, Frito-Lay started adding all-electric trucks to our route delivery fleet, reducing fuel usage and costs, tailpipe emissions and greenhouse gas. In the spring of 2011, we joined President Obama's National Clean Fleets Partnership and commited to further reduce our vehicles’ diesel and gas use. This month, our fleet of 176 all-electric trucks celebrated a huge milestone -- one million miles driven! This achievement means our all-electric fleet has eliminated the need of approximately 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel. In 2012, we will add 100 more all-electric trucks which will help reduce our fuel consumption by 500,000 gallons a year. 

But that's not all... we've also introduced 67 C.N.G. trucks as part of our tractor-trailer fleet system. C.N.G stands for compressed natural gas, and the addition of these vehicles is another step in the right direction as we make progress on our environmental sustainability journey. Each C.N.G. truck will emit 23 percent less greenhouse gas compared to a diesel truck. With the addition of these trucks, Frito-Lay will eliminate more than 900,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually!

We are excited to continue to move towards our goal of a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2017, and look forward to sharing our progress with you here on Snack Chat!

- Kristin

Fire Up the Grill, It's National Burger Month!

Happy National Burger Month! The hamburger has long been considered the national dish of the United States. It's a dish that almost everyone has made, and there are hundreds of ways to customize it. From your choice of patty (beef, turkey, black bean, soy, etc.) and bread to the endless string of toppings to the preferred method of cooking -- the sky's the limit!

Below are a couple recipes from Frito-Lay that will help you celebrate National Burger Month.

• Spicy Feta Burger Dip -- Not a burger in the traditional sense, this dip packs a little heat and goes great with Tostitos Restaurant Style tortilla chips or Tostitos Scoops! tortilla chips. 
• Ranch Hand Chipotle Burger -- The lightly smoked essence of chipotle mingles with the smooth, creamy ranch flavor of our Lay's Dip Creations to produce the unmistakable flavors of Mexico. This smoky, spicy burger would go great with Lay's Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ flavored potato chips.
• Garden Onion Burger -- Our Lay's Dip Creations are used once again to add an extra dimension of flavor in this recipe. Substitute lean ground turkey to turn this into a burger you'll gobble up. Serve with Lay's Garden Tomato and Basil flavored potato chips for a tasty summer meal!
• Southwest Enchilada Black Bean Turkey Burger -- Fritos Southwest Enchilada Black Bean Dip, pepper jack cheese and avocado turn the simple turkey burger into a zesty Tex-Mex treat. Try serving with some Tostitos Restaurant Style with a Hint of Lime flavored tortilla chips. 

How do you make your burgers? More importantly, which Frito-Lay snack do you prefer on the side? Let us know in the comments!

- Joe

Plan Your Summer Parties With New Snacks and Tostitos Fiesta 411!

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, which means it's almost time for summer party season! Between all the planning, decorating and cooking, however, it can be hard to remember parties are supposed to be fun. That's why Frito-Lay is happy to announce a new snack AND a new online resource to help take the stress out of your summer get-togethers!

New Tostitos Thins tortilla chips, a limited-time snack sold exclusively at Target, are lighter thinner corn tortilla chips similar to those you find at your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant. The chips are available in two cantina-inspired flavors: Lime & Salt and TexMex.

Tostitos Fiesta 411 is a new tab on the Frito-Lay Facebook page for planning and creating perfect at-home cantina-style parties, complete with the perfect snacks. We've partnered with entertaining expert Courtney Dial-Whitmore of Pizzazzerie.com to be your fiesta planner this summer, and first up is Cinco de Mayo. On the tab, she shares fun appetizer and drink recipes (like the Easy TexMex Bites on the right) as well as fiesta tips such as centerpiece and tablescape ideas, it's a great resource to help keep you in the party spirit, stress free!

Which recipe or fiesta tip are you excited to try first? Mine will probably be one of the cocktails!

- Kristin

Kick Up Your Boots With Texas Brisket Fritos Pie!

When many people think about Texas food, they think BBQ. Specifically, they think brisket, a cut of beef that is best when it's been smoked or slow-cooked until tender and moist. As Lisa from the blog Homesick Texan puts it: "Brisket is one of those things that every Texan eats and every Texan has a definitive recipe on how to cook it."

Inspired by Lisa's recipe for oven-baked brisket and Tex-Mex, a style of cooking that originated in Texas and is heavily influenced by Mexican cuisine, Frito-Lay Executive Chef Stephen Kalil created a spicy and delicious new Fritos Pie Remix recipe -- Texas Brisket Fritos Pie. This combination of slow-cooked brisket and creamy queso with the "extreme" ingredient of pico de gallo produces a tasty treat that will surely make you say, "Yeehaw!"

Check out the video below, and visit the Fritos Pie Remix website to see all the remixed recipes. And don't forget to suggest an "extreme" ingredient you'd like to see Chef Stephen use -- you might just see it on a future episode!

- Joe