The Easy Trick To Make Your Potato Chip Bowl Look Prettier
Playing host is no easy task, even if you're serving simple snacks and ultimately going for the best flavor, the presentation matters. Something as basic as chips and dip should still look appetizing for guests.
Depending on your vision, which chips you buy might impact how your guests eat. If you're incorporating a simple bowl of chips, potato chips are a classic that most partygoers will enjoy. Potato chips are also great for dipping since their mild taste means they won't clash with most dip flavors.
A chip's thickness makes a difference, too. For heavier dips, such as queso, a tortilla chip will provide a sturdy base to scoop. But if onion dip is on the menu, a potato chip with ridges will fare just fine. You can choose whichever chips you want, and from there, you'll want to keep this one hack in mind for making sure that the chip bowl looks as good as it tastes.
The simple hack for pretty potato chips
Potato chips might be the backbone of a good party. Regardless of preferences, when it comes to hot appetizers or dinner, almost everyone in the room is happy to munch on a few chips while they chat and catch up with friends or family. When preparing a bowl of chips, rather than open the bag from the top, flip it over, and open it from the bottom. The reason? It will help you hide those unsightly chip crumbs that inevitably land at the top when you pour the chips into a bowl.
It's hard to say who first came up with the hack, but it actually has another purpose, too — according to Reddit, pouring the chips from the bottom also ensures that all of the seasonings get into the bowl. If you're setting out flavored chips, like Cool Ranch Doritos, it's all the more reason to flip the bag and pour it in from the bottom. Others in the Reddit thread suggest shaking the bag as well to redistribute the flavor.
Easy ways to upgrade your chips and dip
Serving the chips from the bottom of the bag isn't the only way to impress party guests. Another plating trick for simplifying the scoop is to add a wine glass to the middle of your chip bowl. This will keep the dip elevated for easy access and will also create a pretty presentation.
The bowl you choose can make all the difference, too. For example, if you're going for a stellar presentation, don't just dump a bag of chips into a food storage container and throw it on the table. Dress up your chips and dip platter by placing them in a patterned bowl, or by adding a decorative napkin to the inside of a plain bowl before adding the chips. This will give the bowl a pop of color, and it might even get the attention of some of your guests.
If you're wondering, food presentation does matter; a study out of Oxford University even suggested that people perceive flavors differently when they're arranged differently on a plate. So, next time you put out a bowl of chips, open it from the bottom — and display it nicely, if possible.