These zesty pita chips are a wonderful change from the same old chips and dip everyone usually serves. Your friends and guests will love this appetizer them and make them want the recipe immediately!

You can make the chips ahead of time, or make them and serve warm. Either way, the flavor is unforgetable. Try lemon thyme pita chips with Provencal Artichoke Dip or Peppercorn Ranch Dip. You can find those recipes on my web site. See the information below.

I know that using fresh ingredients doesn't always save you time, but... when you do take the extra time to raid your herb garden (or someone else's!) or squeeze that fresh lemon instead of using packaged lemon juice, the difference in taste is really noticeable. And for the better, too.

Fresh is always better. So you have to decide, what's more important? Taste or convenience? Not that these chips will taste bad if you use all store bought ingredients - far from it! And I am not suggesting you become Martha Stuart! But if you have a little extra time, invest in freshness. Just a thought for you to chew on...

What you'll need:

- 4 plain Pita bread rounds

- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted) or olive oil

- 1 Tbsp minced lemon zest

- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

- 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves

- 1/4 tsp sea salt

- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

First, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Next, split the pita rounds in half to make 2 full rounds. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Brush the mixture on the inside of the rounds. Then, cut each round into 8 equal wedges like you are cutting a pizza. Place the wedges in a single layer on the baking sheets.

Bake the wedges for 10 to 15 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. At this point, you can choose to store them in an airtight container until you use them or serve them a little warm. Deeeelish!

Makes about 64 chips.

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