Baker’s snack: Salt + pepper chips with cottage cheese

Let me preface this by saying: I am most definitely in no way, at all, ever, a cottage cheese eater. I have disliked it since I first met it, and despite sporadic further attempts it has remained very firmly on my “no eat” list.

However: 

As a topping for potato chips, it has unexpectedly weaseled its way into my good graces. Cool and creamy together with crispy, salty (and preferably peppery) chips, it is more than acceptable. It is delicious, addictive, and a perfect hearty snack for a long day of cooking or hiking or … well, anything. You can definitely expect this combo to show up for football marathons on Saturdays this fall, and on the counter whenever I have a long list of kitchen tasks ahead of me.

And should you balk at what seems like a crazy combo, know that I’m not alone in this. I know many people who’ve enjoyed this combo from childhood, and I’m not the only one to recently discover it.

My favorite chip to use for this combo is Kettle Krinkle Cut Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper (one of my favorite chips in general), but almost anything works. While the cottage cheese pictured here is high-quality Nancy’s, I’m finding that a little too dry for my tastes – the creamier stuff (which is usually the cheaper stuff) is better for use in this way, and you don’t have to worry as much about having a super-sturdy chip (hence the spoon in the container). Some day I might class it up a bit by folding in some chopped herbs or seasonings, but for now the basic stuff is just fine.

Baker’s Snacks are what I eat to keep me going during long days in the kitchen, when most of my diet for the day consists of scraps and samples. Baker’s snacks are by definition quick, delicious, and made with what I have on-hand around the house. See the first two Baker’s Snacks here and here.