Potato Chips Are The Underrated Pizza Topping You Shouldn't Overlook

Topping pizza with chips out of a bag may not be the first instinct that comes to mind as you cut up cheesy slices of a pepperoni pie. This is a quick upgrade well worth considering, however, and the culinary move couldn't be easier. Sprinkling salty, savory potato chips over even a basic cheese slice can turn up dials of flavor to offer an unexpected yet delicious pizza packed with texture and taste. Whether you prefer the tempting crunch of Deep River or a bag of classic salty Lay's, your go-to snack is the ticket to sprucing up your next piece of pie.

Draw inspiration from typical pizza-making ingredients to emphasize some of your favorite flavors, like placing barbecue chips on top of a pizza topped with smoked chicken or crinkling salt and vinegar potato chips over a homemade Margherita pizza. With so many different kinds of potato chips available at the supermarket, your pizza slices are in for a whole new treatment. 

Don't stop at potato chips, either. Veggie chips made from sweet potatoes, beets, taro root, or even apples can be used as complementary garnishes to your cheesy pies. Try sprinkling air-popped chips made from mushrooms on top of the mushroom pizza you picked up from the store, or use chips made from zucchini to perk up a vegetarian-friendly pizza order.

If the crunch of chips isn't sitting well with you as you settle onto the couch to watch Netflix, sprinkle chips onto the pizza a few minutes before you're due to take the pizza out of the oven. You can also place thinly sliced cooked potatoes on top of your pies to cook along with the rest of the ingredients and punch up the flavor of your pizza. After layers of either potato chips or potato slices are set, crown your zhuzhed-up pizzas with drizzles of olive oil or pesto, a quick pinch of salt and dried herbs, or a final sprinkling of shredded cheese and sliced red onions. Serve your finished pie with ranch or sour cream, and you'll have a dish that could forever change the pizza nights held in your home.