Kale Chips and Mac and Cheese

People keep talking glowingly about kale chips, but it never sounded very tasty.  "Kale" + "chips" doesn't have the ring of deliciousness that, say, "wweet potato" + "fries" does, or "honey" + "butter", or "bacon" + "[whatever]".

That's because it's kale, and like all greens, it's not that exciting when it's all by itself.  It can be good, but it usually needs a team to help it out. 

Kale came in the CSA, so let's try it. 

Fortunately, it's very simple to prepare.  Wash kale.  Dry kale.  Cut off the hard stems/ribs.  Toss and coat kale in a spoonful of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.  Bake at 300 degrees in a single layer for about 20 minutes until crispy.

I finally figured out that the easiest way for me to dry a bunch of greens is in a big old bath towel.

 They came out little green, flavorful flakes.  By themselves, they were fine, but I really liked them sprinkled on top of the mac and cheese.  There, they added a bit of a crunch and the roasted green flavor went well with the creaminess of the cheese and spicy of the sriracha. 

You have no idea how much I appreciate it when we can change up the mac and cheese, a dish we have every week, just a little.