Snack Time: Kale Chips

If you are a follower of clean eating blogs, like I am, then you may have noticed that there are certain trends that seem to pop up every few months or so. One recipe that seems to be on every clean eating blog is that of Kale Chips.

Kale chip recipes are like opinions--it seems everyone has their own way to make them. And everyone raves about how good they are.

Admittedly, I was skeptical.

I'm not the biggest fan of kale as it is. When it comes to leafy greens, give me all of their high in fiber and full of antioxidants goodness in the form of baby spinach, collard greens, or even a turnip green. Kale has always been so tough and bitter to me. All of the pieces of smoked meat in the world couldn't get me to eat them as a child. So I was completely unconvinced that baking them would take any of the bitterness away and make them more palatable.

Still, I purchased a bag from BJs and hoped for the best. Worse comes to worse, I can always add it to a soup recipe or two.

Two words: Freakin' AWESOME!

I made some of these for my Super Bowl par

Who knew? Well, apparently, a lot of people. But hey! Better late than never, right?

Kale Chips
Serves 4, about 2 cups per serving | Print Recipe

Making sure your kale is dry is the key to a crispy kale chip. If there is too much moisture, the kale will steam instead of get completely crisp, which is the whole delicious point.

Ingredients

1 bunch or bag of kale (about 1 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons your choice of salt-free seasoning (see note below)
1/2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.

If using a bunch of kale, with a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. If using bagged kale, be sure to go through it and remove any thick stems. You shouldn't have to tear the bagged kale too much.

Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Making sure your kale is dry is the key to a crispy kale chip. If there is too much moisture, the kale will steam instead of get completely crisp, which is equally tasty, but not the effect we are going for.

Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt or your choice of seasoning.
Spread out on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes. Start to check them after 12 minutes.

Note: My mix of seasoning for this batch was what I call my "house seasoning": garlic powder, black pepper, a bit of adobo powder and a bit of smoked paprika. I also added a light sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese. This would be a great time to break out your favorite Mrs. Dash blended seasoning flavor! I am looking forward to trying this with their Extra Spicy or their Onion & Herb.

Have you tried kale chips yet? What's your favorite way to season them?