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Nacho Cheese Kale Chips

September 13, 2013


I’m a little late to the kale game.  Everyone has been raving about kale, specifically kale chips, for months (years?) and I’ve just been over here sitting on my couch, too busy not eating kale chips.  If you haven’t tried them yet, I’m not sure what it will take to convince you.  But let’s get real, everyone else in the world has already tried them.

Kale Chips

Once I decided to try them, the real issue was which of the 8 billion possible flavors I wanted to make.  Kale has a distinct flavor of its own that I love, so I didn’t want to choose something that would totally overpower it.  I settled on what used to be one of my favorite chip flavors – nacho cheese!  Bonus points: these are vegan!

Kale Chips

While I often go out of my way to make things vegan, this is a rare time that something is vegan out of convenience.  I had no idea how to add a cheese flavor that could A. sit out at room temp, B. was natural, and C. didn’t involve cannibalizing a box of mac and cheese until nutritional yeast came to the rescue!  As late as I am to the kale game, I’d like to proclaim that I’ve been using and loving nutritional yeast for years.  It’s perfect for a vegan, cheesy flavor.

Nacho Cheese Kale Chips
Author: 
 

Ingredients
  • Kale, stems trimmed and torn into large chip-size
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • sprinkle of salt

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper (this will be a little messy).
  2. Make sure the kale is well washed and pat until very dry. Toss in oil or spritz with nonstick spray.
  3. Combine taco seasoning and nutritional yeast then toss with ale until well coated in a large bowl.
  4. Spread the kale out in a single layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
  5. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until crispy.

Notes
The amount of kale you use will depend on how many chips you want. I used “one bunch”, which really isn’t a form of measurement. Adjust the oil and increase the seasoning, as necessary.
If you are making this gluten free, double check that your taco seasoning is gluten free.
Because I don’t have a true amount of kale, I haven’t included nutritional information.

 

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14 Comments
    luminousvegans Sep 27, 2013

    Yum! That’s such a good idea to use taco seasoning and nooch on them. I definitely am gonna have to try this out.

    Serena Sep 17, 2013

    Wow. I might actually like kale chips like this!

    Joanne Sep 16, 2013

    I’ve….never had kale chips either! But nacho cheese kale chips + football Sundays seem like a thing we need in our lives!

      Kelly Sep 16, 2013

      Some of us may want football more than others :-p I’ll stick with Dexter 😀 (it’s only one for one more week though, maybe I’ll have to start watching football, lol)

    Sara Sep 14, 2013

    Oh, hi, yeah. I haven’t tried kale yet either. . . in any form. But I should. I really should. I’m still sitting on my couch. . . . But yes, these look really good! I just might actually do it!

      Kelly Sep 14, 2013

      Glad I wasn’t the last person, ha! You definitely need too give kale a try!

    Em @ Love A Latte Sep 14, 2013

    I’m behind in the kale game as well! I’ve only had kale chips once and they were from a bag so that doesn’t count as much. These look really fun and I want to get in the game!

    Annie @ Natural Sweet Recipes Sep 13, 2013

    I just bought too much kale and was planning on throwing it in the freeze for smoothies. I love this idea so much better!!! What an awesome snack! I love that it uses nutritional yeast. 🙂

    Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking Sep 13, 2013

    I love this tasty, creative take on kale chips! I love them with just a little sea salt and crushed red pepper, but THIS! This is awesome.

    Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens Sep 13, 2013

    Hi, Kelly! I just found you guys via The Roasted Root, and I’m so thrilled I did! I’ve made kale chips before but they were kinda lack luster, and I have been contemplating this exact thing: using nutritional yeast to cheese-ify (that’s a real word, right!?!?) them. Seriously – my friend and I have had long discussions about this! (I’m not kidding – I’m such a food geek! 😀 ) Anyway, I’m so excited to try this recipe! Thanks a million! Can’t wait to check out more of your recipes!

      Kelly Sep 13, 2013

      I’m glad you found me too! I think if you drop the e, “Cheesify” can totally be a word. It looks like one at least!

    Nikki Sep 13, 2013

    Yum – Kale Doritos!