Zucchini Chips

Being a coach's wife doesn't leave much time for home cooked meals during the season.  We are constantly on the run to the next game, getting home ultra late after meetings and practice, or simply just exhausted from all the special functions and events that football season brings. Thus, clean eating has not been priority in our house. Let's be real- it's more of a grab and go or throw some comfort food our way time of year. No matter the year, football season always brings its challenges and this is usually the hardest. My crockpot literally broke from extreme use this season. (Thankfully, Williams-Sonoma ships quickly--otherwise Lee would be out of luck for a while!)

However this week we decided enough was enough. A healthy diet leads to so much more than slim figures. It gives you more energy, better moods, clearer skin and a happier well-being all around. 

So today I ventured out and made two new dishes. (Thanks, Pinterest!)

First on the menu was Zucchini Chips. Any form of chip is always welcomed with eager arms in our home… however, I was very skeptical about this particular kind. I mean, a vegetable as a chip? No way that could actually be enjoyable, right? 

Wrong.

They are surprisingly delicious!

The Cast of Characters:

Zucchini

Apple Cider Vinegar

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Start out by slicing the Zucchini ultra thin. I read that lots of people liked theirs about 1/4 inch thick; however, my favorite ones were the ultra thin ones that throughly dried and got extra crispy.

I put all my Zucchini slices into a bowl and poured a little apple cider vinegar over the top and stirred. This simply gave a little tangy flavor to the chips. It is definitely an optional step.

Next, line your Zucchini on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (I buy precut parchment paper specifically for baking sheets from King Arthur Flour. I highly recommend them! Grab one, cook, and then throw it away with all the mess once you are finished. It's lovely.)

The next step can be done one of two ways: either buy Pam with Olive Oil and spray a light coating over the slices, or in my case since I didn't have any of the Olive Oil Pam Spray, I chose to use a brush and lightly coat the slices myself.

After you've oiled the slices, pull out your salt and pepper and go to town. However, remember that the Zucchini will shrink in the oven and thus your spices seem to double in taste once the chips are finished. I definitely over did the pepper--so take it from me, less is more in this case!

Throw them in a 230 degree oven for 1 hour. If the chips are not dried out and crispy at the one hour mark, keep cooking them but check back every 10 minutes so they do not get over done. Mine ended up needing about and hour and a half total cooking time. 

Finally the chips were served.

Although they still can't compare to a good ol' baked potato chip, they make their own statement and give another veggie serving as a bonus!

These will definitely be on repeat in our home.

Up next: Oopsie Rolls (Gluten-Free Buns)