Scrub and cut potatoes (about 1 per person) into ¼ inch slices/strips. In a large bowl, mix with about 1/4 cup olive oil per every 3 potatoes. I admit I rarely measure, just drizzle until it looks about right. Toss to coat with some coarse salt and pepper, if desired. Spread in a single layer on lined baking sheets.
Time Saver: I never make these anymore without using parchment paper. The dishes do-er at your house will thank you! (My mother prefers the results without lining the baking sheets, despite the potential clean-up.)
Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes, turn fries over, and bake 12-15 minutes more or until golden brown and somewhat crisp. (I find it often takes extra time to actually brown! Be patient.)
Other seasoning options:
- ¼ c. Italian dressing and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning
- see first comment below
- You can also use butternut squash or sweet potatoes: peel and slice and bake similarly with oil. For sweet potatoes I often season with a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar, and rolling the squash fries in maple syrup and cracker crumbs makes for a unique change of pace. These options usually take longer, sometimes up to 45 minutes for thickly cut sweet potatoes.
- Another fun side dish for kids is to slice sweet potatoes rather thinly into “coins”, brush with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 425F for about 10 minutes, flip over, and bake 5 minutes more. To get a little crispy and reminiscent of chips, turn the oven off and leave the coins in for 30-60 minutes longer. Serve with ketchup. Yum!
To make with chicken nuggets in a 400 degree oven: they can be baked together, just add a few extra minutes for the potatoes.
| Homemade Baked French Fries |
- Potatoes
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Scrub and cut potatoes (about 1 per person) into ¼ inch slices or strips.
- In a large bowl, mix with about 1/4 cup olive oil per every 3 potatoes. I admit I rarely measure, just drizzle until it looks about right.
- Toss to coat with some coarse salt and pepper, if desired.
- Spread in a single layer on baking sheets.
- May line baking sheets with parchment paper. The dishes do-er at your house will thank you for lining the baking sheet.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes, turn fries over, and bake 12-15 minutes more or until golden brown and somewhat crisp. (I find it often takes extra time to actually brown! Be patient.)
Seasoning Combinations:
1/4 cup Italian dressing and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
OR
Italian Seasoning and Olive Oil
OR
Rachel Ray’s combination for steak fries:
3 Tbs olive oil, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper for 4 large baking potatoes cut into wedge-type steak fries
Butternut squash or sweet potatoes: peel and slice and bake similarly with oil. For sweet potatoes I often season with a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar. Rolling the squash fries in maple syrup and cracker crumbs makes for a unique change of pace. These options usually take longer, sometimes up to 45 minutes for thickly cut sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potato Coins:
On thin slices, brush “coins” with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 425F for about 10 minutes, flip over, and bake 5 minutes more. To get a little crispy and reminiscent of chips, turn the oven off and leave the coins in for 30-60 minutes longer. Serve with ketchup. Yum! Fun for kids and adults.
Katie,
We enjoy Oven Steak Fries that call for a mixture of 3 Tbs olive oil, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper for the coating. The recipe is for 4 large baking potatoes, so it can be adjusted according to the # of potatoes. This seasoning combo may have come from Rachel Ray. I’ll have to try the Parmesan cheese, Italian dressing combo. Thanks.
[Reply to this comment]
I just attempted to make something like this without having read your recipe. The potatoes came out yummy, but they did not get brown and crispy at all, they were just soft. I used 1/4 C melted butter for a whole pan worth of potatoes and baked at 375 for about 40 min. They weren’t really in a single layer either.
Do you think it was too much oil or not enough heat? Last time I made basically the same thing, but the potatoes were cubed instead of stick shape, and more of them came out browned. I applied the butter differently though – just put several pats on top of the potatoes in the pan and then stirred them around about half way through cooking to coat more of the potatoes.
Also wondering how much the potato variety makes a difference. For the above examples I used yukon golds both times. I’d love to try with sweet potatoes, but I never had luck making baked “fries” with them in the past (a few years ago.)
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Katie Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 7:30 am
Sarah,
Sometimes it takes a LONG time to get brown, and a higher temp makes a humongous difference. I would try 425 or even 450 next time, definitely a single layer (it tends to be the bottom side that browns first), and patience. Sweet potatoes are good, but they taste bad if they get even a tiny bit overbrowned, so you have to watch them more carefully. White potatoes just get crispy and yum if they go a little too long.
Good luck!
Katie
[Reply to this comment]
I tried this too and it didn’t work for me either! I used 1 T. coconut oil on a huge potato and I cooked it and cooked it and cooked it—even at 450 it didn’t really brown—it was in a single layer too—this was after like after 20 minutes or so! Also, when I tried to flip them they were just too soft and fell apart! I cooked them in a pyrex glass pan, would that make a difference?
Thanks!
Ari
–
Ariana Anderson
The Frugally Rich Life
http://www.thefrugallyrichlife.wordpress.com
GF, dairy-free, refined sugar-free recipes and frugality (+ traditional “non-allergy” recipe too)
thefrugallyrichlife AT gmail `DOT com
Twitter: FrugallyRichAri
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Katie Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Ariana,
Katie
So strange – I don’t know if a glass pan would make a difference, but note that you bake for at least 25 minutes total – 12 + 12 (and up). I do find it usually takes longer – will update the post! Sorry it didn’t work. Now I want to try them and really pay attention to how long it takes in reality…
[Reply to this comment]
Sarah W Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 7:12 am
I have to say that when I have made sweet potato dollars (the NT recipe), the type of pan I use definitely makes a difference in how they come out. The clear glass pan produced more browned and slightly crispy sweet potato dollars (also depends on how thickly they are cut) and I think the other pan I used was maybe a metal sheet pan, and those were soft, or maybe it was even a blue glass pan… it’s been a while, so I don’t remember the “other” pan as well, but I’m guessing it does make some sort of difference. (Where’s Alton Brown when you need him?)
[Reply to this comment]
When i make my fries i bake at 450. the thinner you cut the potato the less time it will take. dont cut the pieces to thin or they will burn. Those having trouble- try to cut the pieces thinner, put on 450 degrees amd use a cookie sheet…. This takes me about 20-25 min. let us know if this helps
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