Baked Potato Chips

For some reason, the crunch you get out of potato chips just makes you want to have more than one. One simply does not have a “chip”. It’s plural for a reason. You can’t just have one and expect your taste buds, brain, and appetite to feel satisfied, do  you?

Growing up, chips were pretty rare in my household, so you could imagine when I was able to get them home from the grocery store that I would destroy the entire bag in the same day.  Bad choice nonetheless, but I was a kid and I couldn’t really have care less what I ate, let alone think about how much damage it would do to my health over time.

In today’s world, regular and baked chips can coincide together. This enables people to make their own choice whether they want the full flavor of the regular chips, or the lighter and better-for-you baked variety. To me, it’s hard to find the difference in taste between the two, but knowing I can do better for my body I now try to pick baked as much as I can. If you know me well enough though, you know I can easily stray from that. I’m only human you know, ha ha.

This recipe came about when I made those delicious, better-for-you Baked Texas Cheese Fries a few weeks ago. Since we had a few extra russets to use up and a mandolin in our pantry collecting dust, I decided to make baked potato chips.

Let me tell you, this mandolin is badass. It also has different settings for slicing things at different thicknesses, along with a setting for julienne, and even crosscut potatoes too.  We received it as a wedding gift and never had the chance to bust it out until now. It flew threw those potatoes no problem and the clean up was a breeze. It made it a lot easier to slice than doing it by hand with a knife. I recommend picking up one if you don’t already own one. You will never want to buy baked chips once you’ve tried making them yourself.

Baked Potato Chips

An Obviously Cheddar original. Makes 1-2 servings.

• 1 large russet potato, washed and patted dry
• water, enough to cover potato slices
• 1 tablespoon, apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons, olive oil
• *Seasonings to taste: (I used Mrs. Dash’s Southwest seasoning as a base then added these)
  • few shakes, each of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste as always.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan with foil. Spray a generous amount of cooking spray on the foil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
2. Set up the mandolin slicer just one tick under the 1/8” setting, with a plate under to catch falling pieces
3. Holding the russet vertically, apply light to moderate pressure and run your potato through the blade creating slices. Go slow and pay attention to your slicing because you don’t want to pull a stupid move and slice your finger. Once you have almost finished slicing the potato, slow down even more and gently run the rest of the potato through. WATCH YOUR FINGERS. (If you don’t feel comfortable slicing all the entire potato, discard it when it reaches about 1/2” remaining)
4. Place potatoes in a large pot and fill it with water until it covers them completely. Add a generous pinch of salt and the vinegar. Place on stove and bring to a rapid boil. Boil the spuds for about 8-10 minutes, just until they are fork tender.
5. Strain out the potatoes in a colander and place into a bowl. Place olive oil and the spices of your desire with salt and pepper on top, then give a nice toss to incorporate all the ingredients.
6. Place on sheet pan in a single even layer (you may need to use two pans. Make sure to rotate the sheets between oven racks to ensure even cooking) and bake for 25-35 minutes, until the potatoes are nice and crisp. Note: some chips will get crispier faster then others, so pay attention and remove those accordingly to make sure that they don’t burn.
7. Once they are all finished, let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. These are best when they are fresh and but they can in an air tight container for a day or two.

(*Just like those baked fries, you can use whatever spices you like. Salt and pepper alone are great too if you aren’t feeling to adventurous, but you can experiment flavor combos. Be creative!)

My wife, who has an addiction to chips, absolutely loved these. They were crispy, full of flavor, and overall, healthier! It will take longer for those of you with less powerful ovens but being patient will pay off.

Enjoy, and until next time, Happy Feasting!

(Note: I am not paid to say what products I like. I simply love this gift we received and thought I’d pass it on to you too. You’re welcome.)