When my husband and I first started dating, I told him I prefer to eat at chain restaurants. I like that whenever I go into a restaurant, the food is the same whether that restaurant is on the beach in Guam (speaking from experience!) or a small town in north Idaho. My husband, however, had a very different opinion. He was extremely against chain restaurants and preferred to eat local options... taking the gamble on whether or not a meal would be good. The only chain he will sometime ask if I want to go to eat at is Chili's. Hands-down, they have my favorite chips and salsa. Chips and salsa are two items we always have in our house. When I'm dieting or PMSing and eating everything in site, chips and salsa fill the void.
Overall, it turned out not bad. I can't put my finger on it, but it was just slightly off from what I would have gotten at a Chili's. The texture turned out great and it made a nice sized batch that would work well for a small party. My best guess is it was off as I used reduced salt Ro-Tel. I attempted to add salt to make up for the lack of salt in the can, but couldn't make it work. I did use pickled jalapenos over fresh as I always have pickled jalapenos on-hand at home (I prefer them over the earthy taste of fresh, plus the heat is more consistent). I was a bit surprised there is no cilantro in the recipe, but it doesn't need it. Now, to figure out how to make their tortilla chips!
