These Copycat Bennigan’s Blue Cheese Chips are inspired by the restaurant appetizer. Kettle cooked chips topped with a cheese sauce, blue cheese, and green onions.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
It has been many, many years since I was at a Bennigan’s but I still think of their Blue Cheese Chips!
This copycat recipe is a pile of crisp chips topped with a creamy cheese sauce, blue cheese crumbles, and green onions.
It is a rich and creamy snack that will have you coming back for more!
It has been a looooong time since I had these at the restaurant as they closed and are no longer anywhere near me. But these are just as delicious as I remember them being!
Ingredients
Full quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Let’s talk about the ingredients you need!
Kettle Potato Chips – this version of potato chips is thicker and firmer to hold up to the sauce and toppings compared to regular potato chips. They also give you a great crunch!
Milk – I like to use whole milk. Lighter milks (1%, skim, etc) are much thinner and watered down which will give you a thinner sauce and less creamy flavor. If you use a thinner milk, you might need to add a little more thickener or cheese to get the cheese sauce consistency and flavor that you want.
Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce. You can also use flour if you do not need it gluten free but I find simple cheese sauces taste better when I use cornstarch instead.
Monterey Jack Cheese – freshly grated cheese from a brick is best as it is not coated in anything. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking coating that can make it difficult to melt.
Garlic Powder
Salt
Blue Cheese Crumbles – different blue cheese has different “funk” flavor to it. The restaurant most certainly would have used something on the cheaper end, so I would not worry about buying anything even remotely expensive unless you want to.
Green Onions
Making the Recipe
To make these Copycat Bennigan’s Blue Cheese Chips, heat a small pot over medium heat.
Melt the butter in it, add the cornstarch, and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the milk and whisk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and once it starts to thicken, reduce heat to low.
Add the cheese and whisk to combine. Season to taste (keep in mind they are going on salty chips! I recommend tasting it WITH a chip).
Put your chips on your serving plate in a pile.
Pour the cheese sauce over the chips.
Sprinkle the bleu cheese crumbles over the chips.
Slice the green onions and sprinkle on top.
Serve immediately.
Modifications and Substitutions
This would taste great with crumbled bacon on top!
Amp up the blue cheese flavor by melting some of the blue cheese into the sauce.
Want to add a little kick? Add hot sauce or cayenne to the cheese sauce.
If you want to serve this for a party where it might not be eaten right away, serve the sauce in a small slow cooker with the blue cheese and onions mixed in, and keep the chips on the side for dunking. This will prevent the chips from getting soggy.
FAQs
What are Kettle Cooked Chips?
Kettle cooked chips are cooked in a large vat of oil, but are cooked in batches. This allows for oil temperature control. Regular potato chips are cooked continuously. Kettle chips have a crisper, thicker texture.
Can I Make These in Advance?
If you want to make this in advance, make the cheese sauce and refrigerate it in a container. When ready to serve, heat the sauce in the microwave and pour over chips, finishing the garnishes, when ready to serve.
More Cheesy Appetizers
Copycat Bennigan’s Blue Cheese Chips
Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch (or 2 Tablespoons flour)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (see note 1)
- 8 ounces kettle potato chips
- 2 ounces blue cheese crumbles (approximately 1/4 cup)
- 2 green onions
Instructions
- Heat a small pot over medium heat on the stove. Add the butter.2 Tablespoons butter
- When melted, add the cornstarch and stir to combine. Cook briefly, 1 minute.1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- Add the spices and stir to combine.¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the milk and whisk in. Cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to thicken.1 cup milk
- Reduce heat to low. Add the cheese and whisk together until melted. When melted in, season to taste as desired and remove from heat.1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
- Place your chips on your serving plate.
- Pour the sauce over the chips.8 ounces kettle potato chips
- Use a fork or knife to crumble the blue cheese and sprinkle on top of the chips.2 ounces blue cheese crumbles
- Slice the green onions and sprinkle on top of the chips.2 green onions
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- It is best to use block cheese when you want it to melt. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking agents that can make it difficult to melt smoothly.
- Add some heat by adding hot sauce or cayenne to the cheese sauce.
- Amp up the blue cheese flavor by melting some into the cheese sauce itself.
