How to Make {Spicy} Baked Sweet Potato Chips

How to Make Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Chips | danicaliforniacooks.com

There are many situations in my life where if I just went out and purchased “X” item, or made one small change to the normal process that I do things, my life would be so much easier. I don’t know if it is laziness or stubbornness. For example, I love my big screen Galaxy Samsung S5. When I run with my phone, which I do, I dunno, ~5 times a week, I have to put it down my sports bra or hold it in my hand, and it is pretty bulky. Why don’t you just buy one of those normal jogging arm-bands, you ask? That is a great question, thanks for asking. And when it comes to baking, I want to say that I overbake my recipe 9/10 times. Why don’t you set a timer, you ask? Another great question, I’ll get back to you on that one. Thankfully, these beautiful sweet potato chips are meant to sit on their own in the oven for about two hours, just in case I forget that they are there. Oh, holy yum.

How to Make Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Chips | danicaliforniacooks.com

I could have waited to post about these sweet potato chips, but the photo above just screamed “Halloween!” so I knew today had to be it. Talk about turning something generally store-bought into something homemade and BEAUTIFUL. If you are looking for a new way to bake sweet potatoes, or want to lighten up your usual sandwich + chips combo, this is the recipe for you. No mandolin or special knife/slicer necessary! The trick to crispy, homemade baked chips is using almost a dehydrator method, meaning a low oven temp for an extended period of time. I cannot wait to try this same recipe with beets or regular potatoes!

How to Make Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Chips | danicaliforniacooks.com

As I mentioned before, this recipe is super simple. Cut up your sweet potato into thin slices (watch those fingers!) trying to keep as uniformly as possible so they bake evenly. Don’t worry if they look thicker than a normal chip when you cut them, as they will crisp up in the oven. Spray on a little olive oil on both sides, and throw on some salt and pepper. If you’re feeling creative like me, sprinkle on the tiniest bit of cayenne and some chopped rosemary for some extra house-smelling-loveliness. Pop in the oven for approximately two hours, flipping halfway through. Depending on how thin you sliced your potato, your chips could bake in less time. I overbaked mine. Surprise, surprise, my friends. I caught them just in time.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips
 
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Make your own spicy baked sweet potato chips at home with this easy recipe - no mandolin needed!
Author:
Ingredients
  • Two large sweet potatos
  • Olive oil spray
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • {optional} sprinkling of cayenne
  • {optional} chopped rosemary
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F
  2. Slice your sweet potatos very thinly, trying to keep them even in width. Watch your fingers!
  3. Spray each side with a light coating of olive oil and
  4. Spread out individually over a baking sheet
  5. Optional - sprinkle on the cayenne and rosemary
  6. Bake for up to two hours, turning the chips halfway through
  7. Remove chips from oven with sides have crisped up
  8. Let cool and enjoy with your dipping sauce of choice!
Given the spice level, I paired my chips with some homemade cucumber-dill yogurt dipping sauce. But I think they might go even better with ketchup, or turned into nachos. I’m just starting to realize the endless possibilities of these chips, and I can’t wait to share more versions with you!

How to Make Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Chips | danicaliforniacooks.com

One-Pot Vegan Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Kale

This past Sunday we went for a 75 and sunny bike ride along the beach and for some reason, I decided that we needed to have the most fall-inspired, warming chili for dinner. So here’s to introducing the most delicious, hearty, vegan black bean chili that is stuffed chock-full of butternut squash, kale, tomatoes and spices. My taste testers declared that this stew could cure any ailment and it really is the ultimate Sunday detox. Little did they know that I accidentally threw in a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar at the beginning of this recipe, thinking the bottle was olive oil. Maybe that was the secret ingredient to why it tasted so damn good?!

One-pot vegan black bean chili with  butternut squash and kale | danicalforniacooks.com

This chili would take about 5 minutes to throw together if you use pre-cubed butternut squash (which I generally do). However, we purchased a beautiful whole butternut from the farmer’s market which I preceded to become veeeery close with that afternoon. This baby wanted to play hard to get. Oh sure, you look so innocent all snuggled up against that gorgeous bunch of kale.

One-pot vegan black bean chili with  butternut squash and kale

I turned up my Pandora workout station and broke a sweat. Butternut conquered, and so worth it.

One-pot vegan black bean chili with  butternut squash and kale

Once you have peeled and cubed your squash, this chili could not be easier to throw together. Cook down some onions and garlic in olive oil (and, uh, balsamic vinegar, if you’re me), and toss everything else in the pot to simmer for really however long you please. This is a great dish to prepare on a Sunday and eat throughout the week, as the flavors get better as the days go by. We gobbled this down in one evening, with only one or two servings left over to nibble on over the next couple of days.

One-pot vegan black bean chili with  butternut squash and kale | danicalforniacooks.com

Feel free to top this chili with avocado, shredded cheese, green onions, toasted pumpkin seeds, or even a spoonful of greek yogurt to tame the spice. We kept ours plain and simple. We may have had to turn on our AC later in the evening, but hey, at least our kitchen is attending to the changing season accordingly!

One-Pot Vegan Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Kale
 
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A hearty vegan chili stuffed full of butternut squash, tomatoes, black beans and spicy kale.
Author:
Serves: 5-6 servings
Ingredients
  • Medium butternut squash, cubed
  • Large bunch of curly kale, chopped
  • 1 small white onion, chopped
  • 1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I used the Trader Joe's brand)
  • 1 box of vegetable broth
  • 2 cans of black beans
  • 2½ tbsp chili powder
  • Dash (or a few) of cayenne pepper
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, sautee the olive oil, onion and garlic over medium heat
  2. Add in the vegetable broth and canned tomatoes and bring to a boil
  3. Bring down to a simmer and add in beans, butternut squash, chili pepper and cayenne
  4. Allow chili to cook for a half hour or so before adding in the kale. The kale will cook down considerably, so don't be afraid to fill your pot to the brim with freshly chopped kale
  5. Let chili simmer for a minimum or one hour, or on the lowest heat for up to three hours
  6. Spoon and serve!