The No-Cook Appetizer of Our Dreams

Social media may be a wealth of viral tunes and fashion tips, but it’s also given us lots of our favorite snacks in recent years. From balsamic-glazed Chippy Boys to crisp cucumber salads, foodie content creators on TikTok and other platforms are always giving us our next crave-worthy snack recipes—and we’re here for all of them.

The most recent no-cook appetizer to catch our eye (and our stomach)? Italian Nachos. This culinary delight is an irresistible tower of potato chips and Italian meat that seems perfect for everything from holiday entertaining to weekend football gatherings. After all, what’s not to love about a salty, crunchy plate of chips topped with everything we love from a good charcuterie board?

TikToker Nea Arentzen (@neacooks) shared her Italian Nachos recipe in a clip that went viral recently. In the video, Arentzen layers prosciutto and sea salt and black pepper kettle chips in a bowl, then tops it all with lemon zest, grated parmesan cheese, black pepper, and a white sauce that commenters on the post speculate is similar to ranch or Caesar dressing.

Fans of the post also shared their own variations on the snack, suggesting additions like pistachios, crisp pancetta, basil, burrata curds, and balsamic glaze. And Arentzen isn’t the only content creator giving plain old potato chips some extra oomph this holiday season.

Meredith Hayden (aka @wishbonekitchen) recently shared her spin on Spanish Nachos. “This is inspired by a dish I had in a restaurant,” Hayden says in the clip, “where they made house-made potato chips that were still warm and layered it with Iberico ham, and it was just so delicious.”

In her video, Hayden layers potato chips, olives, pickled peppers, Iberico ham, anchovies, and manchego cheese for a mouth-watering appetizer full of salty, potato-y goodness. Hayden broils her potato chips in the oven under the broiler on a sheet pan for a moment to warm them up, then layers the warm chips with Iberico ham before topping with the other ingredients.

“These might change the world,” one commenter on TikTok said. Another jumped in to add, “It just needs a hot honey and balsamic glaze on top.”

Whether we’re noshing on these warmed, layered chip plates this holiday season or trying out recipes like Hot Pepper Jelly Chips or Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips, it’s clear that the 2024 holiday season just may be the season of the spud. And, if snacking on chips isn’t your thing (as if!), there are plenty of other ways to get your crunchy potato fix, like casseroles made with potato chips or my family’s personal favorite, Crunchy Munchy Chicken, a recipe handed down from my husband’s grandmother that’s so good, we had it printed on a kitchen dish towel.