There is a certain air of public dismissiveness around the types of foods that seem to always be associated with "the munchies." Movies and television promote images of teenagers face-planted in bags of chips, bros stuffing whole tacos blindly into their mouths between fits of uncontrollable laughter, or a stoner spouting deeply incoherent philosophical ramblings punctuated with consuming sweets like a strange Socratic Cookie Monster.
The easy joke is not only that most control is lost, but also that the food sought in these times of enjoyment or impairment is automatically on the lowest end of the quality scale. Cheech and Chong never went in search of an organic, locavore acai smoothie bowl.
While I suppose there is a whiff of truth in this, and many a Cheeto and Oreo have disappeared in some lost hour of a late night or early morning, I would like to point out that some of the reasons that certain foods are painted with the "munchies" brush is because they are easily sourced and affordable, but mostly because they have the kinds of exciting flavor profiles that can cut through any fog. Which not only makes them ideal for those indulgent moments, but also, surprisingly inspiring for amping up the flavors of some other dishes that can be enjoyed with or without any medicinal assistance.
Carbs are always a natural with munchies food. Whether sweet or savory, it seems to be the first place we turn. So, one of my favorite things to do is to take some basic plain household favorite, like popovers, scones or pancakes, and use them as a blank canvas, getting inspired with new flavor combinations. Because a lot of our most beloved snack foods have complex flavor profiles, it is fun to experiment to see if you can make something new, and maybe a bit elevated, but still have it hit that sweet spot of delicious nostalgia.
Doritos are one of the superior snacks, needing no dip or extra anointing to be at their salty, cheesy best. By breaking down the flavors of Doritos seasoning into its composite parts _ cheese, tomato and spice _ and combining it with my favorite popover recipe, you get a light popover with all the punch of a bag of Original Doritos, the perfect thing to serve alongside a steak or roast chicken. And a Cool Ranch version is just a packet of Hidden Valley away.
Speaking of chicken, fried chicken is one of the most craveworthy foods of any snack attack, whether it is a crispy nugget or tender, a basket of wings, a sold-out sandwich, or a bucket of pieces with all the sides. Scones are one of the easiest and fastest things to bake, and this version takes all of the flavors of great fried chicken, not to mention some bonus crispy skin bits, and makes a bake that hits your finger-licking fried chicken button, with pinkies-up high-tea elegance.
Finally, if there were one food that is always likely to cause a snaccident at my house, it is a classic French onion dip. I am powerless against its salty, oniony pull, ideally delivered on a Jays wavy chip, but also on any raw vegetable or even just a spoon. As such, I almost always make a double or triple batch when entertaining, in fear of running out, and then have leftovers calling to me from the fridge.
But if you are facing down a morning-after, and have a half-tub of dip still hanging about? French onion dip pancakes are the perfect thing to turn your day around. It might sound odd, but caramelized onions are naturally sweet, and sour cream brings a similar tang as buttermilk, so these pancakes are actually a perfect blend of sweet and sour and shockingly great with maple syrup. If you have kids, they will love the weird factor. You can also make little silver-dollar sized ones and serve as an appetizer _ with more dip!
So, the next time a craving hits, at 4:20 or any other time of day, think a little outside the bag or bucket, and give one of these a try.
