Store-Bought Potato Chips Are Even Better With A Cheesy Finish

Tired of serving chips and dips at parties? Then you need to elevate that humble bag of potato chips with a scattering of classy Parmesan to turn it into a delectable baked side that's cheesy, crispy, and uber-savory.

To start, line your baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper. This will keep your tray clean and make it easier to transfer your finished cheesy potato chips onto a prettier serving dish later. Then lay your favorite potato chips on the sheet, taking care to spread them out in a single layer (it's okay if they overlap a little but you don't want them to be stacked on top of each other). Using a microplane, shred your cheese over the chips, ensuring you cover every exposed area in a fine coating. While you can shred your cheese with a box grater, a microplane will create finer shreds that melt super-quickly in the heat of the oven before the chips have time to burn. 

At this point, feel free to add seasonings, from a simple scattering of cracked black pepper to smoked paprika, garlic powder, or even nutritional yeast. Bake your potato chips in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese has melted and the edges of the chips have become even crispier. Keep an eye on them so you can pull them out at that sweet spot where the chips have heated through and developed a slight color without burning and becoming bitter.

Parmesan is perfect on potato chips because of its intense-savoriness. It lends this moreish snack a satisfying umami taste and crisp, toothsome texture. However, other more affordable hard cheeses can work too. For example, the sharp saltiness of pecorino romano is ideal on fancy kettle chips and the inherent nuttiness of Grana Padano is perfect for punching up a cheap bag of store-bought crisps, revamping it into an upmarket appetizer with a lively twang. Piave, the creamier, sweeter cousin to Parmesan, also makes an awesome substitute and is just about hard enough to grate into fine microplaned curls. Of course, classic cheddar, Gruyere, and Colby Jack work too, but there's something about the saltiness of harder Italian cheeses that turns the chips into a swankier, crunchy side as opposed to a meltier snack laden with toppings that you'd serve at a ball game.

When selecting your chips, opt for a flavor that will complement your cheese. You might also prefer to choose ridged varieties of crisps that are sturdier and better for dipping if you want to add extra seasonings — they'll nestle into the dips and peaks on the surface of your chips as the cheese melts, creating crunchy little nuggets of goodness.