The 2-Ingredient Trick to Take Your Appetizer Spread Up a Notch (2024)

I thought potatochipswere a perfect food until I tried this simple trick to make them even better.

Published on December 21, 2020

I don't really cook appetizers at home, except around the holidays. When the middle November hits, all I can think about is elaborate cheese and charcuterie spreads, baked Brie, crudite platters, and plenty of chips and dips. This year, the newest addition to my rotation is a platter of cheese-sprinkled, black pepper-topped kettle potato chips, which take a brief rotation in the oven before hitting the table to be immediately demolished by any sane human who happens to be nearby. Trust me, I've seen it happen.

In the last few years, everything has been cacio e pepe-ified; a technique that comes from the classic Roman pasta dish in which cheese and black pepper are mixed with pasta water and become a luxurious, perfect pasta sauce. It make sense: Parmesan and black pepper are an incredibly good combination and they improve the flavor of everything they touch. So it stands to reason that even potato chips, a similarly perfect food, can benefit from the cacio e pepe treatment.

The 2-Ingredient Trick to Take Your Appetizer Spread Up a Notch (1)

The technique is so simple, I hesitate to even call it a technique. Simply preheat your oven to 400°F. Spread a layer of store-bought kettle cooked potato chips on a baking sheet and sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan cheese (Pecorino also works well). Grind some black pepper on top, then do another layer. Think of it like making nachos: you want every chip to get at least a little bit of action from the toppings. Keep building until you've used up all your chips (I'd recommend doing at least two bags) then transfer to the oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until the chips are hot, the cheese is melted, and some of the chips are beginning to darken in color just slightly. Serve the chips on the hot baking sheet to keep them warm longer, or just gently slide them onto a serving tray or bowl for a slightly more elegant presentation.

I'll be serving this dish at every holiday party I host from here out, ready to impress every guest. That includes the party I'll be hosting this year just for my boyfriend and me, where we drink wine on the couch in our pajamas (again). There's something incredibly luxurious about upping the snack ante on an item as beloved as a potato chip. It's the perfect vibe for this 2020 holiday. Oh, and they pair perfectly with Champagne.

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The 2-Ingredient Trick to Take Your Appetizer Spread Up a Notch (2024)

FAQs

What is the main ingredient of hors d'oeuvres? ›

General hors d'oeuvres include cold preparations such as salad, cold meat, and fish. Classical hors d'oeuvres include fruit juice and soft drinks, grapefruit, shellfish co*cktail, and so on. Typically smaller than a main dish, an hors d'oeuvre is often designed to be eaten by hand.

What is the difference between canapé and hors d'oeuvres? ›

Canapés are typically made with an edible base – crackers, blinis, bread or pastry, and served cold. Hors d'oeuvres are small bites of something tasty and can be both savoury or sweet, and served hot or cold.

What is the basic rule in hors d'oeuvres? ›

Hors d'oeuvre

Hors d'oeuvres are defined as "apart from the main work" and served before sitting down to meal service. They may be hot or cold items. Because they are usually eaten while standing, hors d'oeuvres should be finger food that can be eaten without the use of utensils.

What are the 2 common ways of serving hors d oeuvres? ›

The two most common ways of serving hors d'oeuvres are butler-style and buffet-style. In butler-style service, the hors d'oeuvre selections are offered to guests by service staff carrying small trays as they pass among the assembled group.

What are the two 2 fundamental differences between an appetizer and hors d oeuvre? ›

You're supposed to eat hors d'oeuvres before a meal begins, versus appetizers, which are considered part of the meal. Then there is the quantity served, with appetizers being served once to a table, versus hors d'oeuvres being served several at a time.

What is the difference between charcuterie and hors d oeuvres? ›

Other hors d'oeuvres include miniature baked tarts (or “tartlets”) and skewered foods or kabobs, which are served hot, and charcuterie, which is an assortment of meats served cold, often on a board.

Why do you spread the base of your bread when you make canapés? ›

The spread adds moisture and flavor while also forming a barrier so that the bread underneath doesn't become soggy. It also serves as a sort of glue, so that the toppings are less likely to slide off the base.

What is the most common hors d'oeuvre? ›

Usually presented buffet style, it often consists of cold cuts, cured fishes, mixed salads, kholodets, pirozhki, various pickled vegetables (such as tomatoes, beets, or cucumbers), sauerkraut, pickled mushrooms, deviled eggs, hard cheeses, caviar, canapés, open sandwiches, and breads.

What are the three main types of hors d oeuvres? ›

Types of Hors d'oeuvre
  • Hot- sausages, smoked fish or meat, Potato Napoleon with caviar and sour cream etc.
  • Cold- Pates, oysters, cheeses, crudités etc.
  • Finger food- empanadas, wontons, deviled quail eggs, tea sandwiches.
  • Canapés- 1 or 2 bites- always consists of four parts. Base. Spread. Primary ingredient. Garniture.
Oct 4, 2022

What's the difference between an appetizer and an hors d oeuvre? ›

You're supposed to eat hors d'oeuvres before a meal begins, versus appetizers, which are considered part of the meal. Then there is the quantity served, with appetizers being served once to a table, versus hors d'oeuvres being served several at a time.

What is the main purpose of hors d'oeuvres? ›

These are small dishes served before a meal. They're ideal for people to eat because they're designed to be eaten by hand, with minimal use of cutlery involved. Therefore, they're convenient. They generally don't require dishes, spoons, forks, knives, placemats, and other items involved in eating an actual meal.

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