The Best Cheese Pairings To Snack On With Potato Chips

Why settle for boring old crackers when you can pair your cheese with the salty deliciousness of potato chips? Maybe it's their low-brow reputation as a mindless snack, but potato chips don't get the respect they deserve as a potential base for higher-quality snacks and appetizers. Some forward-thinking people caught on years ago, the Spanish in particular like to pair their best tinned fish with potato chips, but you aren't seeing a lot of charcuterie and cheese boards with a pile of Kettle Chips on them. Too bad for those boards, because potato chips offer an unparalleled crunch and salty kick that works wonderfully with many cheeses while being neutral enough in flavor to still let the cheese star.

But potato chips still pack a punch, and won't work with every cheese, so Tasting Table reached out to an expert, Matthew Rose, a partner of Fairfield and Greenwich Cheese Company, to ask which cheeses would be best. Rose said, "Some of my favorite styles are fresh goat's milk cheeses, ripe and gooey bloomy-mildly washed cheeses." He explained, "Potato chips work so nicely with cheeses because they [are] a perfectly light vessel for soft cheeses." This gives you an excellent textural contrast with every crunch. And what does he do when he wants something a little more firm? "Of course, Manchego P.D.O."

Rose also had larger guidelines as you search through all of the different types of cheese available. Look beyond the cow and try more goat's milk cheese because, as Rose notes, "They are higher in acidity and not as rich as their cow's milk counterparts." He explained to us that "potato chips also bring a fatty element to a bite and are best balanced with cheeses that are big on flavor but lower in overall richness, because you end up getting that from the chip." 

Thankfully, there are lots of different goat's milk cheeses out there beyond the creamy one you might know. Many classic cheese styles like gouda and brie can be made with goat's milk, and cheese shops often list the type of milk used to make your cheese on the label. Rose explained why his last pick was a harder cheese by saying, "Manchego works as a firmer cheese to pair with potato chips as Spain has become some of the foremost and respected potato chip producers in the world, beloved for their light texture and rich flavor."

While Spanish potato chips are not easily available in most American stores, some brands like Torres Potato Chips are available to ship online. And while you may not want to settle for the cheap ones with your cheese, there are some great chip brands in grocery stores that will get the job done well too. At the absolute worst, you'll still be left with a bag of potato chips.