Kale Chips: Easy to Make and Shockingly Scrumptious

I’m definitely more adventurous when it comes to eating out than I am when it comes to cooking. I’ve eaten kale, sure, at restaurants and when Jenn whipped up a breakfast version. But I’ve never purchased and whipped up any kale myself. I’ll be honest—because my grocery store doesn’t label its kale bundles, I wasn’t even sure I was buying the right thing. What was I making? Kale chips, from Michelle Stern’s The Whole Family Cookbook, which I reviewed last year.
What did I learn? That I need to not be so hesitant about trying new recipes, as the kale chips were a huge hit in our house. My hubby, notoriously picky about his veggies, was in love. I couldn’t get him to step away—a good problem to have when it comes to leafy green vegetables! He actually said “I could probably eat kale chips in lieu of potato chips” and “I don’t see how these are healthy for you—they’re so good.” My daughter, after making faces the first time, actually ate quite a few when I made them again.

Kale Chips Nutrition Info

Seriously. It was surprising that something as simple as kale sprinkled with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper could be so tasty and crunchy and delicious. Not to mention, they’re good for you. In a one-cup serving you’ll find:

• Vitamin A (354% according to SparkPeople)
• Vitamin C (88%)
• Calcium (9.4%)
• Fiber (2.6 g)
• Iron (6%)
• Manganese (27%)

And they’re so easy to make that I got overconfident, didn’t check the temperature and mistakenly baked a batch at 400 degrees when trying to use up the rest of my kale stash. That stuff’ll set off fire alarms in a hurry!

Click here if you want the super-simple recipe, but all you do is take the kale off the stems, throw them in a single layer on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet, toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. BAM! Crunchy, delicious leafy greens!
Do you love kale? Ever tried kale chips? —Erin