Baked Sweet Potato Chips with Cool and Creamy Chili Dip

These Baked Sweet Potato Chips and I go way, way back. Many, many years ago, I used to order these as an appetizer at a now-closed restaurant in Indiana. Once a year, my four closest friends from high school and I would meet up for a girls' night at this particular place. The spot was over an hour from my house, so that yearly occasion was about the only time I ever went there. I would crave these during the months in between each visit, so I started making them at home.

It's actually a very simple recipe that requires just sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper for the
chips component. The key is getting the chips as thin as possible - either by using a spiralizer or kitchen mandolin, or by using a thin-bladed, sharp knife.

And, as amaze-balls as the chips are, please hear me when I say that the dip is essential. After a good deal of trial and error, I was able to recreate the dip from the restaurant just as I remembered it. And, it must not be skipped. {Did that sound too demanding? Sorry. I'm just really passionate about the dip, people.}

I often whip these up for us on movie or t.v. night just as a snack. But, they are great to serve alongside sandwiches or burgers, too.

Serves 2


Ingredients:

FOR THE CHIPS -

2 - 3 small-to-medium sweet potatoes, skins left on and scrubbed
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper

FOR THE DIP -

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 - 2 tablespoons chili powder
Kosher salt, to taste as needed

Directions:

FOR THE CHIPS -

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spritz with olive oil to coat. Set aside.

Using a spiralizer, mandolin or thin-bladed, sharp knife, create very thin chips of sweet potato. Spread in a thin layer onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spritz on additional olive oil to coat chips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Flip chips halfway through cooking. Add additional olive oil if needed.

Remove chips from oven just as they begin to darken around edges and crisp up. {Note that they will crisp further as they cool, so it's okay if some are still a little soft.}

Serve with dip.

FOR THE DIP -

Combine ingredients - except for salt - in a small bowl. {Start with 1 tablespoon chili powder, then add up to one additional tablespoon as desired.} Taste and add salt only if needed. Serve as a dip for chips.