These Oven Baked Fries have been on the site for years, but in the past 2 weeks I’ve made them three times, so I wanted to give them love as they’re CRAZY good! If you make them you have to tell me in the comments below what you love to dip them in. Happy rewind Wednesday!
Last week I had the moment many moms with kids older than mine have warned me about. I was driving with Kenya and at one point he looked out the window and said, “Mommy, what’s that place over there with the playground and hamburgers on the sign?” Now, I grew up eating McDonald’s, but now that I know what’s really inside fast food meals, I’m committed to trying to keep my kids away from it for as long as possible.
That does not mean that I want them to miss out on the fun foods I enjoyed as a kid (and still enjoy), like burgers and fries. I simply want them eating the healthiest possible versions of those foods and I’ve realized through a lot of testing, that to do so, you don’t have to sacrifice great taste.
For example, take one of my favorites_ French fries. Instead of deep frying, I bake them in the oven. My “fries” come out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and I serve them up with a side of ketchup and mustard, just the way that I used to enjoy them when I was little. Do you think if I take Kenya and Chloe to our neighborhood playground with a sack of these it will be as much fun for them as a McDonald’s? My bet is as long as we’re all together sharing fun and “fries”, it will be!
Photos by Matt Armendariz
Oven Baked Fries
Ingredients
- 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch sticks
- 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Place raw cut “fries” into a colander and rinse under cold water (to remove the starchy exterior of the potato). Then, pat “fries” dry with a towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Place “fries” on to a sheet tray, drizzle with the oil and salt, and toss to coat.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then toss and bake for an additional 10 minutes (for a total of 30 minutes).
Another fantastic recipe! My family has come to love my weelicious recipes.
Use a silpat withe perforated baking sheet then you will not need to add more oil to your food and it will not stick
What am I doing wrong?? Every time I make these, they stick to the pan and come out a complete mess. It doesn’t matter how much oil I put on them, or what pan I use. The fries stick and get all burnt on one side. Very few turn out ok and they’re oh so yummy which makes it even more frustrating 🙁
I made these last night and they were perfect!! They were very crunchy and everyone ate them up. I turned my oven on broil the last two minutes just to get them really crispy. Thanks for the great recipe!
Giving this a try tonight. Hope they turn out crunchy!!!
If she wants to use a bag so what, It could be a bag from the grocery store and you dont know because you want to judge her for not being “green” what a jerk!
[…] used it last night to cut spuds for Catherine McCord’s Oven Baked Fries. It seems the secret to getting oven fries really crispy (which I hadn’t mastered before last […]
I use this http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-Vegetable-French-Cutter/dp/B00004RDFH to cut mine ;))) It’s fun :))
Made these for the first time this afternoon (and will be making more for dinner) and they were yummy!
i recently discovered doing this with butternut squash. it doesn’t get as crispy but they are really good. my 20 month old loved them
I used to do this all the time with sweet potatoes, but it didn’t even cross my mind that I could do it with regular potatoes. I have to try this! My almost 2 year old LOVES french fries and this is what I need to do to make the treat even less damaging. Thanks!
I do this all the time! lol I’m going to try the suger thing though. I used to work at New York Fries and I dare say the baked version is as good as the ones I used to make! To get the perfect cut fries I got a Potato fry cutter thing from Walmart. If I remember correctly it’s made by starfrit. Really easy to use too.
can these be frozen?
Delicious! Can’t even tell they’re not fried!
You know, I’m so pleased that MCD’s finally has a couple of good choices on their menu.I’m simply obsessed with their oatmeal with apples, raisins and craisins.Yum.While I’m passing buy I often cant resist pulling up at the window to order muself one of those.Unfortunately the rest of my family is not too crazy about it 🙁
Awwww…Meghan, don’t worry! We love McD’s…I worked there as a kid (probably my most favorite job). Everything in moderation!