Crispy Brussels Sprout Chips

I know it’s going to be hard for some people to imagine ever becoming excited about brussels sprouts.  Believe me, there was a time when I would have also turned my head on them.  The day I discovered these crispy brussels sprout chips, however, everything changed and all of the sudden brussels sprouts became exciting to me.  And because I am so excited about these brussesl sprouts, I must tell you about them.  Whenever I used to roast brussels sprouts, the favorite part was always the extra leaves that fell off of the main core.  These little leaves would become crisp and crunchy during the roasting, similarly to how kale becomes crispy when making kale chips.  It took me several batches of roasted brussel sprouts, but it finally occurred to me that I could just separate all of the brussel sprout leaves and make an entire batch of brussel sprout chips.  My ideas do not always work out, but this one was a winner. We adore these.  A few tips if you decide to give these a try:

•  When peeling off the leaves, it may become necessary to cut more stem off of the brussels sprout to loosen the leaves.
• Using your hands to toss the leaves in olive oil helps to ensure that each leaf is evenly coated with oil.
• Salt is essential for flavor, but a little goes a long way.
• Do not overcrowd the pan or the brussel sprouts will not become crunchy.  If you double the recipe, use two separate baking sheets.
• Some leaves will turn crispy sooner than others.  In order to avoid burnt brussels sprout chips, remove the leaves from heat once they become crisp and brown while allowing the rest to continue roasting.

So happy that brussels sprouts are now in the rotation of family dinner vegetables!

Crispy Brussels Sprout Chips

Ingredients

• 1 pound brussels sprouts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Cut the ends off brussels sprouts and peel off leaves of each sprout. As you reach towards the center of the sprout, you may need to cut more stem in order to peel off the leaves.
3. Place leaves on a large rimmed baking sheet and use hands to toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper until leaves are evenly coated.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until brussels sprout leaves are cripsy and the edges begin to brown. To avoid burnt brussels spout chips, remove the leaves once they become crisp and brown while allowing the rest to continue roasting.