Baked Paprika and Parmesan Chips

     Today I learned something very surprising. I learned that baked potato chips don't have to taste like a bad excuse for real ones. I've actually been experimenting with healthy homemade chips for a while. I've made them out of zucchini, eggplant, and kale, all with great results. But for some reason, I just assumed that if I tried making potato chips this way, they would somehow fall short. Since I had only a couple of leftover potatoes, I decided to give it a try anyway, and I know a lot of people say this about baked chips, but I really mean it when I say that you can't tell the difference. Well, I take that back. You can tell a difference, but the homemade ones are better. The key to a good result is getting very thin slices of potato, which I think would be impossible to do without a mandoline slicer. As for the seasoning, I just sort of made it up, and I'm excited to try different flavors in the future.

INGREDIENTS:
2 large potatoes (or just use whatever kind you have already)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons grated parmesan

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425 and line baking sheets with parchment or foil.
2. Wash the potatoes, leave the skin on, and carefully slice them on a mandoline slicer.
3. In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, paprika, and parmesan into the oil.
4. Lay the potato slices on the baking sheets in a single layer, and brush each side with the oil mixture.

2. Bake at 425 until the chips are browned and crispy. Flip them occasionally. Start with 20 minutes, at which point the smaller slices could be done, and then check the rest at least every five minutes. Because all the slices are different sizes and the ones near the edges of the pan will cook faster, there's no way to have them all done at the same time. The last ones were done after about 40 minutes. Each time you check, take the done ones and let them drain on a paper towel.

One final note, try not to make more chips than you will eat at one time. The tradeoff for having healthier, homemade chips is that there are no preservatives to keep them fresh and crunchy for a long time. But other than that, they're perfect! Enjoy, and come  back tomorrow for another sweet treat!