healthy snacking: baked beet chips edition

     I LOVE beets. Roasted, pickled, pureed...whatever cooking technique is used I'll eat them right up. My boyfriend, on the other hand, strongly dislikes them. In a perfect world this is ideal because then I can have all of the beets. But this is not a perfect world and what this actually means is I rarely eat beets because we are always cooking for two.

     I've always told him I will get him to like beets someday. It may have taken nearly five years, but I've finally done it in the form of beet chips! This was a total win for me. He ended up eating more of the finished product than I did! So if you already like beets or think you dislike them, let this recipe nurture your loving taste for them!

so vibrant!

beet hands are so pretty

     Besides this being exciting for me because I rarely get to enjoy beets at home, it was super exciting because it was the first time I used my shiny new mandoline my Poppop got me for Christmas. Gone are the days of taking forever to thinly slice vegetables by hand! I had my entire gigantic beet all sliced up and ready to go in a matter of minutes. So if you have a mandoline, great! Use it. If you don't then that's okay, too. You just gotta dedicate a little more time and concentration to your prep. Either way - be very careful! We aren't trying to make finger chips here. Let's stick with beets.

Baked Beet Chips
Prep Time: 5-20 minutes (mandoline vs hand slicing)
Cook Time: 40-60 minutes
Servings: 2

You Will Need:

• 1 large beet (about 1lb)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4-1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet (or two, depending on size) with aluminum foil or parchment paper. If using foil, lightly brush on some oil to prevent sticking.
2. Thinly slice beets using mandoline or a sharp knife. Thickness is up to you, but stick somewhere around your average potato chip as the thicker it is the more cook time there will be.
3. Toss beet slices with olive oil and place on baking sheets in a single layer.
4. Bake for 40-60 minutes, rotating halfway through cook time, until edges start to crisp, size of chips is reduced by half, and middles aren't soft and squishy. Again, the thinner the chip the faster the cook time. 
5. Remove from oven and let cool. The chips will crisp up more as they cool. Toss with desired amount of salt and serve!

How do you feel about beets?