Delicious Eggplant Chips with a Jalapeno and Smoked Paprika Dip
Who loves chips like me?! Don’t be shy! As much as I love them, I know I shouldn’t eat them all the time. So instead I make these eggplant chips! Yes, you heard me- eggplant! Not only are they already round, so they look like a chip, but they crisp up nicely when baked! Yay! No more guilt! This simple eggplant recipe is wonderful to have when you are going to a potluck or a tailgate party. You know there will be those tempting chips, but now you can bring your own healthy version and a yummy smoked paprika dip too! 
Eggplants vary in size and you can always cut them to the correct shape and size you need for your chips. So don’t worry too much if you have a huge one from your garden or a cucumber-shaped one from the store. They will both taste delicious! I always use my food processor to slice the eggplant. It is so easy and it makes them uniform in thickness. If you don’t have a food processor just use a sharp knife and try to be as consistent as possible to get uniform thickness. After slicing lay them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. This is where you have to be patient. Let the slices sit for at least an hour. Sometimes I leave them for several hours just because I get busy and forget about them. I like to make the smoked paprika dip at this time because it is best if it sits in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Or if you are going to a party try our Healthy 7-Layer Dip! That’s always a crowd-pleaser! Anyways, after an hour you will see lots of little water droplets on the eggplant. The salt has done its job and drawn the water out of the eggplant, which in turn will make your chips crispy! Yay! Go ahead and use a paper towel to pat the slices dry. 
Now, simply brush both sides of each slice with olive oil, a little tedious I know but it is worth it! And then sprinkle with the seasoning and bake. Depending on the thickness, your chips could take a little longer than the 30 minutes to bake. I would still start checking them around the 20-minute mark and then every five minutes after until they are crispy enough. I do find that leftovers don’t stay crispy, so that’s even more reason to enjoy the whole batch in one sitting! Enjoy! 
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Delicious Eggplant Chips with Jalapeno and Smoked Paprika Dip
Ingredients
Eggplant Chips
- 1 eggplant
- salt
- olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp cumin
Dip
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ large jalapeno seeded and minced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Eggplant Chips
- Place parchment paper on two large baking sheets. Slice eggplant into 1/8-1/4 inch slices. Lay slice out so they aren’t touching on the baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt and let it sit for 1 hr. The salt will draw out water, allowed them to get crispy! After an hour, preheat oven to 350F, and use a paper towel to blot the eggplant dry. Brush both sides of each chip with olive oil. Mix together the garlic powder, paprika, chili powder and cumin. Sprinkle at least one side of the chips with the spices. Bake for at least 30 minutes, or until crispy. Check every 10 minutes to make sure none are burning and to pull out any that are done early.
Jalapeno and Smoked Paprika Dip
- Combine all ingredients, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Enjoy!
