Super Easy Parmesan Kale Chips

Awhile ago I did a huge amount of research on green smoothies and playing with what different veggies and fruits I could put together for the biggest punch and best flavor. Along the way I discovered kale. Kale is one of the healthiest greens around, though probably one that takes a little getting used to in the taste department. I’ve had good success with it in smoothies, mixed with bananas and flaxseed, but I’ve heard so many good things about kale chips I’ve wanted to try them. Funny thing is they are pricey, yet they seem so easy to make – so I thought I’d give it a go.

Cool Mama Tip

I’ve found that kale can wilt pretty quickly if not used within 3-4 days. The great thing about making kale chips is that you can use wilted kale and the chips taste just as good as the ones made with fresh kale. You get all the same nutrients and best of all you don’t waste any food!

Because kale chips come out so fine and are so crunchy, it is difficult to dunk them in anything without them crumbling to bits. So if you find that you want any extra flavoring, you need to add it into the baking stage (the way I’ve added Parmesan). My little guy is a pretty adventurous eater, he ate these and gave them a thumbs up. But, if you’ve got a little dude that doesn’t like veggies you can experiment with a flavoring that might entice them to try these.

Parmesan Kale Chips

I like to keep my recipes simple and easy to adjust according to tastes. I’m not a very skilled baker or cook, so my recipes have to be simple if I’m going to be successful. I hope you like the method to my madness. This is super easy as the title implies, just follow a few techniques and you will have super yummy crunchy parmesan kale chips.

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Ingredients (makes enough for 3 people)

1 bunch of green curly kale

Olive oil

Parmesan

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 275.

1. Wash and dry the kale.
2. Break the kale apart into slightly larger than bite size pieces, pulling the leaves off the stalks. Keep in mind that they will shrink once cooked.
3. Spread the pieces out on wax paper
4. drizzle the kale with olive oil, not too much or the kale will be soggy and not get crispy without first burning.
5. once you’ve lightly drizzled the oil, make sure to rub it into each piece of kale so that they are lightly coated. If you think you were heavy handed on the oil (like me!), just use a paper towel to bloat the excess off.
6. Sprinkle the kale with parmesan. Just a light sprinkling to cover the kale.
7. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the edges are all slightly brown. That’s it your done. Once they come out of the oven, you will not be able to tell the difference between the wilted and fresh ones.

Because they are so crunchy and light, you’ll find that you can get through a serving very quickly. No problem though as these are easy to whip up. You can even make a large batch and separate across several sandwich bags so that they stay fresh for later.

Enjoy and let me know if you try this recipe as is or with a different flavoring.