Making the viral two-ingredient onion chips

There are quick and easy recipes, and then there are recipes that require two ingredients.

Cookbook author and recipe developer Stella Drivas is known for her indulgent but healthful recipes, most notably two-ingredient vegetable chips. The recipes start with a layer of shredded Parmesan cheese on parchment paper, then a layer of vegetables.

Nearly 15 million people watched the recipe video for her smashed broccoli chips, a dish that involves broccoli florets, Parmesan cheese, a little oil and seasonings.

“I’ve done carrots, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts,” she says. “I went to town last year and they all went viral. I probably gained half a million followers with the chips.”

Her latest two-ingredient recipe, an onion ring chip video she posted at the end of February, has been viewed nearly 20 million times.

To make the chips, she lines a 12-by-17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper, then spreads about 7 ounces of shredded Parmesan cheese in an even layer over the paper. She uses a mandolin to slice two small onions into quarter-inch rings, then spreads the rings out over the cheese. They touch but don’t overlap. Then she brushes the onions with olive oil and seasons them with paprika, garlic powder and salt. The onion and cheese is baked at 400 degrees for 18 minutes or until everything forms a single, golden-brown layer. She lets the sheet cool for 10 minutes, then breaks it into chip pieces.

The recipe has been riffed on thousands of times, with people adding everything from pizza toppings to pickles.

“I feel like people just really love onions,” she says.

Drivas grew up eating cheeseburgers and onion rings at a diner her father ran for 35 years.

“I worked at the diner and I loved the onion rings, but I’m not in a position now to be eating onion rings all the time,” she says. “Let’s be honest. These chips are not quite the same as an onion ring, but it’s a great alternative.”

The onion chips deliver the crunch and sweet onion flavor of a ring without the extra breading. They have become an addictive go-to snack while I’m working from home and a favorite appetizer to make for cocktail parties. The recipe works best if you use the preshredded Parmesan from the deli section of the grocery store. And you can season the chips with anything you like. I showered this week’s batch with a garlic and Parmesan popcorn seasoning.

Drivas says she’s always busy developing more quick and easy recipes, with many featured in her debut cookbook, “Hungry Happens Mediterranean,” coming out in September.

“I told my publisher I wanted to include some fan favorites,” she says. “I included the broccoli chips and my burger bites.”

Think the gooey melted insides of a cheeseburger baked in a muffin tin.

You can check out more of Drivas’ easy, healthful recipes on her Hungry Happens website.

And below are five more recipes that deliver big, satisfying flavors with five ingredients (not counting pantry staples like seasonings, herbs, oil or butter) or less.

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Salt and Vinegar Cauliflower

If you’ve ever been a fan of salt and vinegar chips, this is the recipe for you. The cauliflower is both browned in a skillet and roasted at high heat in the oven to caramelize the florets. Fresh dill and vinegar give the vegetable a pop of acid and freshness, making it the ideal side dish for a piece of grilled fish, steak or even roast chicken.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 35 minutes. Serves: 4.

(Maria Zizka)

Warm Steak Salad With Sherried Cherries

Cherries, sherry and vinegar come together to make a quick and easy dressing for the warm steak and arugula salad. You could swap the steak for mushrooms, chicken or your protein of choice.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 45 minutes. Serves 2.

(Maria Zizka)

Za’atar Farro With Fried Eggs

Recipe developer and cookbook author Maria Zizka intended this dish as a variation on fried rice. Before boiling farro grains, she toasts them to coax out a nuttier flavor, then stirs in some za’atar. It’s a dish that’s meant for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 50 minutes. Serves 4.

(Maria Zizka)

Midnight Pasta

This pasta recipe is meant to be made with whatever is in your pantry. And substitutions are welcome. Replace the capers with anchovies or whatever olives you might have on hand. Add grated cheese in place of the pine nuts.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20minutes. Serves 4.

(Maria Zizka)

Honey Chia Granola

Just sweet enough and a little salty, this granola can be eaten as a snack, breakfast or dessert. Pour some in a bowl with some milk to eat in place of cereal. Or sprinkle a handful on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream for a quick dinner party dessert.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 55 minutes. Makes about 6 cups.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)