Pita Chips - Making Them Easy

Barbecue's big flavors often call for a collection of robust sides. Often times a backyard cookout is accompanied by some cheap potato chips. Here's a way to dress it up and offer a slightly healthier (baked) alternative. Sure you can buy pita chips in the store, but they tend to be small overpriced bags and not enough for small gathering.

Go ahead and try to make these chips at home they're super easy and we nailed it on the first try.

Garlic Pita Chips

1-2 packages pita bread

Olive oil

Seasoned salt

Garlic powder

Olive oil spray

• Cut pita bread in half, then cut each half into four triangles and separate each triangle.

• Place chips on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and brush heavily with olive oil.

• Sprinkle salt and garlic powder over all. (One side only for best result.)

• Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

• Flip chips and spray with olive oil spray.

• Bake 6-8 more minutes until golden brown. (For convection, use 325 degrees and only 6 minutes on the second round.)

• Drain on a paper towel and serve with your favorite dip!

Award Winning Potato Salad

Emeril just wrapped up a big contest/feature on "Good Morning America" where he named the "Best Potato Salad Ever."

The recipe they chose broke from tradition for us at Barbecue Tricks. We're not used to much bacon in the mix. But when it's there most BBQ lovers DO like the flavor.

Here's the recipe followed by the runner up with a bit more tradtional and creamy salad. The third runner up was different too... she oven roasted the potatoes... neat idea.

Ingredients:
8 large red potatoes

6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 lb. bacon

1 large white onion, chopped

2 c. mayonnaise

1 c. sour cream

3 tbsp. milk

2 ½ c. shredded lettuce

2 large tomatoes, chopped

2 c. Shredded cheddar cheese

1. Wash and boil potatoes until tender. Let cool.
2. Chop and cook bacon and onion together, until bacon is crispy. Drain grease into a bowl and reserve.
3. In a small bowl mix mayonnaise, sour cream, bacon drippings and milk. In a large bowl, combine potato, eggs, and the onion-bacon mixture. Add mayo mixture to potato mixture and toss. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
4. Served topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

Kickin' Cheese Biscuits

Need a quick side to cap off a BBQ feast? This is a quick cheese biscuit recipe that has an emphais on quick. You could roll the dough and cut into neat rounds (trick: use an old clean soup can with both ends out for perfect round cuts) but these "drop" buscuits are a bit rustic and taste just as good.

• 2 cups bisquick baking mix


• 2/3 cup milk


• 1/4 Sour Cream


• 3/4 cup Kraft Mexican Cheddar Jack with Jalapeno


• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda


• pich of salt


• 1/4 cup butter, melted


• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat oven to 450. Mix baking mix, milk, & cheese until a soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cooking sheet. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Mix butter & garlic powder. Brush garlic mixture over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Makes 12.
Serving Size: 4