Arizona Cheese Crisp is the 3-Ingredient Savory Snack You Need to Try

When it comes to snacks, sometimes simpler is better. Often you only need a few ingredients for a delicious bite, like 3-ingredient graham cracker frozen treats or 4-ingredient homemade gummies. If you’re looking for a quick and easy after-school or work snack, try making Arizona Cheese Chips, made with just tortillas, cheese, and green chiles.

If you’ve never heard of cheese chips before, it might be because you’re not an Arizonian. This appetizer was created in Tucson, Arizona, and is commonly found in Mexican restaurants throughout the state. Yet you don’t have to be from Arizona to make and enjoy it. Sometimes called Sonoran quesadillas (because the recipe calls for large flour tortillas popular in Sonora, Mexico), Arizona cheese chips aren’t far from your classic quesadilla recipe. The main difference, however, is that cheese chips are open-faced, made with a single crispy flour tortilla and topped with melted cheese and often sliced ​​green chiles for a touch of heat and flavor. To make them, simply spread butter on your tortilla and poke a few holes with a fork to prevent it from swelling. Bake it on a baking sheet in the oven for 6 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it, add the cheese and green chiles and bake for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Simple, quick and so good.

Read more: How to plan and create balanced meals, throughout the week

How to Perfect (and Customize) Your Arizona Cheese Chip

For the crispiest cheesy chips, start with the thinnest flour tortillas you can find, such as Sonoran Flour Tortillas, which aren’t as thick as your traditional burrito-wrapped tortillas. If you only have regular tortillas, just make sure to cook them longer in the oven. Next, choose a good melty cheese, like cheddar or Monterey Jack, to grate on top. Although it may be tempting, don’t bury your tortilla in too much cheese or it won’t get as crispy.

Once you’ve mastered your base, you can experiment with all kinds of toppings. Green chiles are a popular option, which you can buy canned or roasted yourself. Besides chili peppers, you can also use classic quesadilla toppings such as salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cilantro. To make things even cheesier, slice and dip your cheese crisp in chili con queso. You can also make your crispy cheese more tostada-like by adding refried beans and proteins such as spicy chorizo, shredded chicken, or seafood (like this shrimp ceviche tostada recipe).

It’s not necessary to limit yourself to the oven either. The air fryer is a great choice, especially if you don’t want to wait for the oven to preheat. Simply cook it for a few minutes on each side and top it with cheese for the last 2 minutes. Or, for an ultra-crispy dish, Tucson takes the dish, fry your tortillas in oil before grilling them with cheese in the oven.

Want more knowledge about nutrition? Sign up for our free newsletter where we help thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time.

Read the original article on Food Republic.