Kale Chips: 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.
Clearly not impressed this time, but trust me, the second time was the charm.
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? Do your kids like them? —Erin
Comments
Hurray! I am proud of you for trying something-that-sounds-odd-but-is-amazing and for your hubby for loving them! Thanks for the post 🙂
I love these, but have not found a way to store them. If I place them in a plastic bag, they lose their crunch and get all soggy (and I made sure they were cooled off before putting them in there). Same thing of course if I put them in a container. Do you have this problem?
Tracey – I haven’t had any left over to store! From a quick internet search, it looks like a common problem although I didn’t really find any solutions other than devouring them all in on sitting. 🙂
-FBM Erin
I’ve been making these pretty much every night for the past few weeks as a snack before dinner. (The garden is full of it and I must harvest!) Such a great recipe 🙂 Simple and fast for those who can’t wait for dinner to be ready!
I am going to make these this weekend! Sounds yummy! I have made kale and artichoke dip which has been a hit at every party!! I thought I would share.. Steam kale and pat to dry add to baking dish, then add 1 jar of Alfredo sauce (I use Classico 4 cheese), 2 cloves of crushed garlic, salt and pepper, pecorino cheese (1/4 cup), 1 cup of shredded Italian cheese, mix all together and bake 375 for 20 mins, then I top with more shredded italian cheese and kick out the heat to 400 to brown cheese on top!! Yumo!! Serve with tostitos chips, pita chip, French bread, crackers, etc. enjoy!!
Edited: Oops… I forgot to add 1 jar of artichoke hearts drained and chopped!!
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