Easy and Homemade Potato Chips

Potato chips are my weakness. My guilty pleasure. If I was ever stuck on an island and had one snack to bring, I wouldn't have to think twice about what I'd bring. I love chips. They're salty, satisfying, crunchy, and delicious any time of day. 

But they're almost never healthy. And every time I wanted to make my own at home, I'd feel just as guilty knowing I'd still have to fry them in fatty oils. And baking them off in an oven at home just isn't the same. 

So, I set out to still make my own homemade potato chips and get them just the way I like- without the guilt. And all I had to use was my microwave!

Prepping these is fairly simple. The obnoxious part is actually the microwave part. You also need to get your potato slices as thin as you can. I use a mandoline. You could obviously use a very sharp knife, but I it won't yield the thin, even slices a mandoline would. 

I used one medium potato, washed/scrubbed the skin, cut it into very thin slices, and let it sit in a bowl full of water for a few minutes. I then got rid of the water in the bowl and kept washing the potato slices until the water ran clear (this gets rid of the starch). I patted the slices dry between a few paper towels, brushed some olive oil, sprinkled some salt, pepper, and garlic powder on them, tossed the slices together, and placed them on a parchment paper-lined microwave-safe plate. 

How simple is that? You could even omit the olive oil, but doing so won't give you a crispy chip.

Another thing to make sure of: the slices should not be touching or overlapping each other. Your chips will stick together and won't crisp up as much if they're have no space. 

Once your potatoes are placed on a plate, microwave them for 3 minutes. Flip each slice over and microwave for another 2 minutes or until you see the slices browning/crisping up. This means they're done! Remove them from the microwave and place them on a paper towel, and continue with the other slices until you're done. This will take a few batches, so be patient!

Feel free to sprinkle additional seasoning on them after you remove them from the microwave.

And that's it! The chips will be crunchy, delicious, and no one will be the wiser on how it was made. And the best part? Not having to feel guilty snacking on them!

I hope you try these out and find them just as delicious and fun to make as I did. Feel free to let me know how it went!

EASY AND HOMEMADE POTATO CHIPS
Yields: 1-2 servings

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium potato (any kind)
- salt, pepper, garlic powder (any seasoning of choice)
- olive oil (optional)

TO MAKE:
1. Wash and scrub your whole potato. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice your potato into very thin, even slices. Place in a bowl of cold water and let sit for a few minutes. Remove water and keep washing the slices until the water runs clear to ensure the potato starch is completely removed.
2. Dry your potato slices. Drizzle olive oil and toss. Sprinkle with seasonings of choice and toss again to ensure all slices are covered in some olive oil and seasonings.
3. Place your potato slices on a microwave-safe plate lined with parchment paper. Make sure they're placed in an even layer and are not touching or overlapping each other.
4. Microwave the potato slices for 3 minutes. Then, turn each slice over and microwave for an additional 2 minutes or until the slices are browned and the edges are crisped up. 
5. Remove from microwave and place in a serving bowl or another plate lined with paper towels. You can sprinkle additional seasonings before serving.
6. Repeat with remaining potato slices. 

I hope you give these a try! Don't forget to subscribe and follow me on Instagram (@bakedbylaila)!