TikTok user turned a bag of potato chips into mashed potatoes

TikTok videos have given the world its share of useful food-and-drink tips, from how to order the latest Starbucks secret menu drink to using your toaster to prep tortillas for tacos.

Now, a TikTok user has posted a video on a kitchen shortcut that’s raising some eyebrows: making mashed potatoes out of potato chips.

TikTokker Eli, known as @elis_kitchen on the social media platform, is known for posting food hacks. But Eli’s Signature Cheesey Mashed Potatoes recipe is a bit unusual, to say the least.

The home chef starts out with a pot of boiling water, then adds some salt and vinegar. Next, he dumps multiple snack-size bags of Lay’s potato chips into the pot and stirs until they become soft and translucent.

Once the chips are “cooked” through, Eli drains them in a colander and returns them to the pot — but not before throwing back a shot of the strained potato water. Um, OK.

From there, the finishing touches include= adding some shredded cheese and smoked paprika.

“Delicious!” he declares after sampling his dish.

Commenters do not seem to be convinced.

“Please go buy actual potatoes,” posted Miranda Smith. “They’re not even that expensive.” Others noted that instant potatoes exist, so there’s no reason to use chips.

TikTok user Alexis seemed concerned about the lack of nutritional value of the dish, writing, “This is why doctors get paid as much as they do.”

Another commenter, Morgan Fortay, sent out the call for a food expert to come in and save the day.

“I can’t wait for Gordon Ramsay to find this,” Fortay posted.

But, you might be surprised to find out that world-famous chefs have used a similar method to create a potato purée. “Top Chef” judge and chef Chris Santos shared the secret with Insider.

“While we were competing against each other, the brilliant chef Alex Guarnaschelli taught me that you can make a deep, satisfying, delicious, silky potato purée by rehydrating potato crisps in cream and then blending,” he said.

Maybe Eli’s viral creation isn’t so crazy after all.

Would you try potato chip mashed potatoes?