These Cheese Crisps are the easiest appetizer to make. The crisps are very versatile as well. For instance, this recipe uses Parmesan and cheddar cheese with some Italian seasoning mix. But you could substitute pepper jack cheese for the Parmesan and use some Mexican seasonings of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and oregano. Cheese crisps originated from Italy where they are called Frico and they literally have just one ingredient. It is just little piles or heaps of grated Parmesan cheese that is baked in the oven until they are crispy. I have seen a few different versions made on the Food Network. Trisha Yearwood uses some flour in her recipe. This recipe is similar to Ina Garten’s on the Barefoot Contessa cooking show. When my personal trainer Andrew Lightcap test-tasted these crisps, he had a good idea. Because the crisps reminded him of pizza, he recommended dipping them in marinara sauce. Sort of like dip and chips. For the pepper jack cheese version, I think dipping in some salsa would be tasty as well. Cheers!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, place uniform piles or heaps of the cheese mixture on the two baking sheets. You should have room to place 4 heaps left to right and 3 heaps top to bottom or 12 per baking sheet. They need to be 2 inches apart because when they bake, they will spread out. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the edges brown. Cool the cheese crisps and then they are ready to serve. This recipe makes 24 crisps and they are perfect for happy hour with drinks, roasted nuts and marinara sauce for dipping.
