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James is obsessed with beets. It all started a few years ago when many studies were released claiming that eating beets will increase athletic performance. Since he loves any edge he can get for his bike races, beets became a staple in our RV kitchen. And these oh-so-amazing beet chips…well they are my absolute favorite way to eat beets! Even you beet haters (you anti-beetists you) will be converted when you try these. As a bonus…you don’t have to peel the beets in this recipe! Sweet!
WHY BEETS?
The health benefits to eating beets are through the roof. Studies show they lower blood pressure, reduce chronic inflammation, give the brain an energy boost, and heck, they’re even touted as nature’s Viagra. Not sold on beets yet? They’ll also cleanse your liver, purify your blood, & the betaine helps fight depression. Phew! Last one, stay with me here, the betacyanins in beets have been proved to be potent cancer fighters and will inhibit the formation of cancer-causing compounds. Next we’ll learn they’re able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, too. No wait, that’s gelatin.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 3 beets (cut tops & tails off)
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 TBS fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 heaping tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt (to taste)
- Mandoline (or other slicing contraption)
WHAT TO DO:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Set your mandoline to 1/16 and slice the beets.
In a large bowl, mix the oil with all the seasonings.
Add the sliced beets and toss.
Spread the beets on a cookie sheet in a single layer and put in oven.
After 15 minutes, pull the pan out and remove any chips that look done. If it seems they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down to 375 degrees. Put the pan back in the oven for another 10 minutes, but watch closely since they burn quickly.
You can eat them warm or at room temp. This ENTIRE recipe is a total of 230 calories, so split it in half for a super low calorie RVing snack. But be warned! These babies are addictive and hard to share.
Stef,
A few weeks back we tried your beet chip recipe (when I say “we,” this means my wife set about making them and I hung around waiting to eat them). Let’s just say they didn’t turn out very well for us — a wide range of burnt and under cooked. Any thoughts or tips on how to fix?
Marshal! Beet chips are finicky little things in the oven. They go from perfectly browned and delicious to burnt in the blink of an eye. But let’s back up to the prep process, because that will make or break a good batch. They won’t work at all without a mandoline to slice them evenly; and a GOOD mandoline at that. Plus, you have to hold the pressure equally as you slice, or your chips will vary in thickness and that’s a problem, as fussy as they are in the oven. They can’t overlap on the baking sheet. So one layer in the oven at a time. In the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, you HAVE to watch them. If some are browning quickly, pick those out of the oven and cover them to keep warm while the rest finish baking. I know, having to babysit the oven is annoying, but they are so worth it when cooked right. Don’t give up on them, Marshal! They are way too yummy…try again!
Much better the 2nd time! Added some carrots, too.
I so loved the recipes, can’t wait to try both the snack carrot cake bar and the beet chips. I love beets and didn’t know how good they are for you!
Thanks so much Stef.