Roasted Red Pepper Spread & Baked Kale Chips

If you have been settling for store-bought chips and jarred dip at cocktail hour, it is time for an upgrade. The secret to a truly irresistible kale chip starts well before the oven. Strip the fresh kale of its tough center stems, tear it into bite-sized pieces, and make sure the leaves are completely bone-dry before you dress them with oil.

Massage the dry leaves with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt, then spread them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. In a 350°F oven, the remaining moisture evaporates quickly, leaving behind shatteringly crisp, impossibly delicate chips that disappear from the tray the moment they land.

A Spread Worth Dipping Into

A delicate chip like this needs a dip with real body. If a spread is too thick, it will shatter the kale on contact; too loose, and it will pool across the platter. The solution is simple: pulse softened cream cheese and mayonnaise together in a food processor until smooth, building a creamy, stable base that holds everything together.

Blending sharp cheddar cheese and deeply savory roasted red peppers directly into this creamy base creates a beautiful, speckled, orange-red spread. The food processor ensures the ingredients are perfectly combined, yielding a glossy, spreadable texture that clings effortlessly to each baked chip.

Jorj Morgan

Roasted Red Pepper Spread & Baked Kale Chips

A in rapid emulsion and thermal dehydration. This elegant, highly structural appetizer pairs a mechanically pulsed, rich cheddar and roasted red pepper cream cheese spread with delicate, shatteringly crisp oven-baked kale chips for a flawless textural contrast.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 28 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Appetizer

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

The Roasted Red Pepper Spread

• 1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons high-quality mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted red pepper from a jar, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated (about 1 cup)
• Kosher salt and coarse black pepper to taste

The Baked Kale Chips

• 1 pound fresh kale
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Red pepper flakes optional, for heat

Method

 

The Spread Emulsion

1. Place the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, chopped roasted red pepper, fresh parsley, and grated cheddar cheese into the bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse the machine repeatedly until the ingredients are completely integrated into a thick, cohesive, beautifully speckled spread.
3. Season the spread aggressively with kosher salt and coarse black pepper to taste. Transfer to a small crystal or ceramic serving bowl and set aside.

The Kale Dehydration Prep

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a heavy metal baking sheet with a Silpat liner or parchment paper.
2. Using a sharp chef's knife, carefully remove the thick, fibrous center stems from the kale leaves. Tear the leafy greens into uniform, bite-sized pieces.
3. Wash the torn kale thoroughly and pat completely bone-dry with paper towels or spin in a salad spinner. (Any residual water will steam the kale in the oven, preventing it from crisping).

The Thermal Bake

1. Place the dry kale leaves into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and use your hands to massage the oil deeply into the leaves.
2. Sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt, black pepper, and the optional red pepper flakes.
3. Arrange the kale in a single, even layer on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring the leaves do not overlap.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are browned and shatteringly crisp, but not burnt, about 12 to 18 minutes.
5. Allow the kale chips to cool on the pan for 2 minutes to fully crisp up before serving immediately alongside the roasted red pepper spread.