Cheese Crispies

These are my absolute FAVORITE snacks. If you're a cheese fanatic you will adore these little crisps made of pure baked Parmesan cheese.  In Italy they are known as "Frico", and are commonly known as simply "Cheese Crisps" here in the States. After some experimenting with a bag of shredded cheese at my house (one troubled experience involving a small fire heehee), I created this simple recipe. They are so easy to make and require only one ingredient.

Ingredients:
As much shredded hard or semi-hard cheeses as you have (you'll want to eat them all!!). I prefer Parmigiano Reggiano (fancy name for Parmesan). You can also experiment with other cheeses like Romano, Asiago or Cheddar. 

Optional seasonings of your choice such as lemon pepper, garlic powder, chili power, etc. 

Directions:  1. Toss the cheese with your desired seasonings and place cheese mounds of any size one a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
I used 1/2 cup of cheese to make four one-tablespoon cheese crispies. Make sure that each mound is flat and about two inches apart from each other.

 2. Bake the crispies in a 350º oven or toaster oven for about five minutes. Watch them closely. They are finished about a minute and a half after they begin to bubble. They should be golden brown around the edges.

* You can also take them out around three minutes if you want them chewy rather than crispy.

3.  3. After they are out of the oven, let them cool for thirty-seconds and with a knife or flat spatula, carefully lift them off of the parchment paper.

4. You can make them into shapes like cups or bowls!!! While they are still soft and pliable, gently mold them around the bottom of a cup or roll them to fill with dips later.

5. Place the crispies on a paper towel to cool and soak up any extra oil from the cheese. They are now ready for eating!!!

BUT WAIT! 

If you can resist chomping them down two seconds after they've cooled, why not try adding them to a salad or making them into an appetizer!?

1. Instead of sprinkling plain old shredded cheese on a salad, why not make them into crisps to crumble in it or eat on the side?

I made a butter lettuce salad with fresh raspberries, sauteed whole garlic and a homemade lemon-olive oil-vinegar dressing! The sweetness of the berries perfectly complements the salty cheese.

2.  One of my favorite foods is pasta, specifically pesto pasta with melted parmesan sprinkled on top. So why not try a creamy pesto-yogurt sauce in a cheese crispy bowl?

The sauce is so easy: Just combine non-fat plain Greek yogurt  (I like Fage brand) with a store-bought pesto sauce (which is basically pureed basil with olive oil, parmesan and pine nuts).  Mix well and spoon into a cheese cup. Cut up some chives  for garnish and voila!!

3.  The ultimate toast has got to be artisan sourdough topped with parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar.  The tangy bread tastes amazing with the salty cheesiness and the surprisingly sweet and rich vinegar.

Just toast the bread, spread the vinegar on it with a pastry brush/drizzle it on and then top with a cheese crispy brushed with more vinegar. Perfection!!!

Do you guys have any tasty recipes for Cheese Crispies? Feel free to comment below :)