Make Your Own Potato Chips

I was raised to believe that pots and pans, toasters, or other kitchen gadgets – things that might be considered necessary for “women’s work,” were not appropriate presents. But here’s the catch – I like kitchen tools. I love nice pots and pans. After all, isn’t it nicer to make dinner with the right tools and pans that are easy to clean? I asked for a new refrigerator for Christmas at least four years in a row (and I finally got one). I love it because it looks nice and it helps keep me organized.

I’ve also discovered that the best way to get exactly what I want is to ask for exactly what I want. My Christmas list usually contains links to the exact item I want (and this is necessary because without specifics my husband has a tendency to overdo it – like buying three pans instead of the one I need).

This year I had my eye on a couple of gadgets for Christmas (and yes! I did receive them as gifts). The first was a very simple mandolin slicer. I don’t have a food processor – I chop things the old fashioned way – but I wanted to be able to make uniform thin slices so I could do things like make potato chips. And that brings us to the focus of today’s post.

The beauty of making your own potato chips includes being able to control ingredients, and not worrying about what else is made in the factory. While it’s not too hard to find chips that are just potatoes, oil, and salt, most potato chip factories also make “flavored” chips (such as sour cream and onion) – and that’s where food allergy families can get into trouble.

To make these potato chips I used just one potato, and I chose to keep the skin on. I sliced the potato with the mandolin slicer and made uniform slices:

I placed them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and then l
sprayed them lightly with olive oil. Any oil you prefer will work. Next, I sprinkled them very lightly with sea salt. You can choose to go heavier on the salt or with no salt at all – it’s all good. (I used about ½ tsp for the one potato.)

I placed the baking sheet in an oven pre-heated to 375 degrees, and baked them until they were nicely browned, about 12 minutes. And I enjoyed a handful with my sandwich:

Next, I’ll be making sweet potato chips!

What's your favorite use for a mandolin slicer?