*Photo Updated August 2011*

Inspiration: I love dips, and I probably consider them my favorite snack or appetizer to eat. What’s a Mexican meal without guacamole or an appetizer party without a cheese dip? That being said, since B and I no longer eat carbs, we’ve been struggling to find a good vehicle for eating dips. Vegetables work okay, or sausage slices, but sometimes you just want something crispy like a cracker or a chip! B and I have been eyeing these Parmesan crisps for a while, but I’ve been putting off trying them because they seemed like they might just be a recipe for disaster in my hands. With a great sausage dip that I wanted to try for the Superbowl, though, I finally decided that it was time to give these a try.

What we Loved: Like often happens in cases like this, I’m kicking myself for not trying these earlier! They’re fabulous! Not only do they taste wonderful (what’s not to love about a crispy, salty, rich cheesy flavor in the form of a cracker?), but they’re really the perfect substitute for a cracker or chip. They’re incredibly crisp and crunchy, so much so that if you didn’t know that they were cheese, you might mistake them for a cracker. Perfect! And on top of all of that, they’re really so easy to prepare. I was worried that I’d end up with a mess of burnt cheese stuck to my baking pan or gooey cheese piles that didn’t form themselves into much of anything, but the cheese crisped up in a flash and slid right off of my greased pan. These couldn’t have been easier, and I’m so glad to now have a cracker substitute!

Helpful Hints: My biggest advice with these is not to worry that they won’t turn out. Cooking piles of cheese just seems like something that wouldn’t work too well, but it really does work perfectly. Just be sure to use a well-greased pan or parchment paper, and they’ll slide off of the pan perfectly when you take them out of the oven. I cooked these for just about 5-6 minutes in my oven, but keep an eye on them and check them frequently, because they cook really quickly, and every oven will be different.

Parmesan Crisps
Source: The Urban Spork

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with butter, or line it with parchment paper.

2. Spoon small mounds of cheese onto the baking sheets, and flatten them into rounds. Leave a few inches between each one, as the cheese will spread as it cooks.

3. Bake the Parmesan for approximately 5 minutes, or until just golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, and leave the crisps on the pan for about a minute.

4. Remove the crisps with a spatula, and serve or store in an air-tight container.