These beet chips are yet another example of a supremely healthy snack that I probably never would have prepared if it hadn’t been for this blog. And my preschooler, who loves beets to begin with, said, “These are better than chocolate chips mama!” I kid you not.
She calls these “Swirl Chips”.
2 or 3 medium beets
Salt (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash the beets throughly. Cut off both ends and peel. Keep a towel on hand or do your peeling under running water in order to keep the juices under control.
Slice the beets very thinly (about 1 millimeter) with a mandolin. (This is a rare instance where the mandolin is actually necessary. Uniform thickness in the chips is required in order for them to bake evenly.)
Lay the sliced beets out onto parchment-lined baking sheets. They can be placed close together as they will shrink during baking. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
Bake for 15-20 minutes keeping a close eye on them after 15 minutes as they burn easily. The beets will still be pliable when done and will crisp up as they cool. Serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Depending on how dried out the chips are, they are probably good for at least few days.
I’m thinking these might be tasty served with Herbed Yogurt Dip.
Note: Beets that were at least three inches wide had less of a tendency to shrivel up during baking.
Yield: several handfuls of chips
Prep-time: 5 minutes
Bake-time: 15 minutes (per batch – one beet fills approximately two baking sheets)
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I have no love for Kale Chips. But I know all the super healthy beautiful people out there are making them and getting healthier and more beautiful with every bite.
I have been munching on them all morning simply because there is a big pile sitting on the counter. My kids, however, are not big fans. My youngest helped me make them and happily tasted one. But a minute later she was at the bathroom sink rinsing out her mouth. My oldest tried them a couple hours later and enjoyed the crispy saltiness, but not the bitter aftertaste. My husband’s assessment was “they taste better than they smell.”
Regardless, these are worth a try if you have a sad and lonely bunch of wilted kale hiding out at the bottom of your crisper drawer like I did. I originally ran across a recipe at The Kitchn which points to a recipe at ChowMama.
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There are tons of variation possibilities here. Instead of cheese and italian seasoning try some cinnamon sugar OR smoked paprika. This is a recipe that the grown-ups as well as the kids in my house really enjoy. It also does well on the go.
2 10-inch whole wheat pita rounds
Vegetable oil spray
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese powder
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cut pita rounds into small triangles, approximately 12 pieces per round.
Pull breads apart at the fold and arrange in a single layer on baking sheet. Spray lightly with oil.
Bake for 10-15 until slightly golden. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet.
If you don’t have a mandolin, don’t bother with this recipe. This is one of those times when a fancy kitchen gadget has actually proven itself necessary.
1 sweet potato
Salt (optional)
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Slice potato very thinly with a mandolin (less than 1 millimeter or thereabouts).
Arrange slices individually on parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with fine salt, if desired.
Bake for 10-30 minutes until chips are curling and almost entirely dried out, rotating at least once. When ready, the chips will slightly pliable, but not wet. They will crisp up more as they cool. The trick is to allow them to dry out almost entirely in the oven, but take them out soon enough so that they don’t start to brown which seems to start happening the instant they dry out (see Note). The size and thickness of the chip plays a large role in baking time.
Allow the chips to cool on the baking sheet or on a cooling rack. Serve or store in air tight container.
Note: The potato I used today was kind enough to give me some visual clues as to when it was dry and ready to be removed from the oven. It turned from an reddish orange to more of a yellowish orange as it dried.
In the photo above the top of the chip is still a little wet and the bottom is dry.
In this photo the left side of the chip is a little wet still and the right side is crispy and delicious. Sometimes parts of the chip will brown a little bit before the entire chip is dry. Sometimes I flip them on the baking sheet, but I don’t think it makes a difference.
Yield: depends (around several handfuls)
Prep-time: 10 minutes
Bake-time: 10-30 minutes
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