Melted cheese crisps baked until golden give you a salty, stretchy base for a quick supper. The shelf's colby jack sticks melt into lacy rounds that become crisp in the oven, dressed with tomato and pepper. Serve with bread and greens to round it out.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 440 calories a serving, 34 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 28 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat the oven to 400°F [200°C]. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the 6 colby jack sticks in half lengthwise, then cut each piece into thirds to make 36 small pieces roughly the size of a coin.
2. Arrange the cheese pieces on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least an inch apart so they can melt into separate crisps without touching. Bake for 8 minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly at the edges.8 min
3. Meanwhile, halve the cherry tomatoes and toss them with 1 teaspoon of oil, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl. When the cheese crisps come out of the oven, let them cool for 1 minute, then transfer them to a serving plate with a spatula. Top each crisp with a tomato half and serve warm with bread.

Note Swap the tomato for caramelized onion or hot sauce. Leftover crisps keep in an airtight container for two days and can be warmed in a low oven. Serve with a green salad and more bread to soak up any cheese and tomato juices.