Root vegetables are my go-to side dish for the duration of fall (and beyond). If it’s a day that ends in “y” and it’s cold enough outside to wear a scarf…there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find a root vegetable or five roasting in my oven.
So taking a selection of all-star root vegetables and turning them into a snack? It’s like extending fall’s best produce party.
These chips couldn’t be easier to make. And they each shine in their own way. The sweet potato chips are the valedictorian of the class; they came out perfectly every time. The beet chips, aside from being drop dead gorgeous, are just the right amount of salty and sweet. The acorn squash chips? They taste like all that is fall in one crisp bite. The parsnip chips are just a little chewy and have just a little bite of spice. The turnip chips were such a nice surprise! They have a really nice savory roasted onion flavor.
Try making one variety or go for the gold and try them all. Either way, you’ll be happy to have this new addition to your fall snack list!
Root Vegetable Chips
You’ll Need:
- A mandolin
- Multiple rimmed baking sheets
- Root Vegetables
- Olive Oil
- Coarse Salt (I used Fleur de Sel)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the vegetables with a mandolin. I prefer thinner chips, so I adjusted the mandolin as needed to create thin slices (about 1/16th of an inch).
Toss the chips in a small amount of olive oil. A good rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil per cup of sliced chips. Sprinkle in a pinch of coarse salt while tossing with the olive oil.
Line the chips up on a baking sheet so that they are close together in rows but not overlapping. Cover with another baking sheet and bake covered for 20 minutes.
Next, take the top sheet off and bake uncovered for an additional 5-20 minutes, as needed. The chips are done when the edges are dry and the middle is mostly dry. Remove the chips from the baking sheet and place them on a wire rack to cool and dry completely.
Helpful Hints:
- Only use enough olive oil to barely coat the chips. Too much will cause them to get soggy after baking. (Troubleshooting: if they do get soggy after baking, just pop them back in the oven for about 10 minutes when you are ready to eat the rest and they’ll crisp back up again.)
- Baking the chips on a silicon mat keeps them from sticking to a baking sheet. It’s ideal, but not necessarily. I had success without it!
- Stack another baking sheet on top of the baking sheet with the chips. This helps in two ways: the chips stay flat and also have time to bake without burning.
- Place the thickest chips along the outside edges of the baking sheet. They will bake faster there.
- These chips are best when eaten immediately after baking (which shouldn’t be a problem, since they’re delicious).
