The nice thing about sweet potato fries is that they’re good for us and our kids (lots of Vitamin A) and if you bake them with a little bit of olive oil, you can turn them into a healthy-yet-decent version of classic french fries.
Recipe: Sweet Potato Fries
Estimate 1 sweet potato per person
Ingredients
Sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
In our house, there can be an initial grumble: “These don’t taste like the ones at the ski chalet.” Well, they’re not deep-fried. Still, we get over that quickly with a squirt of ketchup added to the plate (and having no other choice!). The fact is, these fries are fast and easy, and they work on their own or as a side for any meaty main.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Start with 1 medium sweet potato per person. Peel.
Start by cutting off a slice from each potato's base (any side, really). You will be able to stand it steadily on one end — meaning that once you slice the potato, it will not roll about awkwardly (and unsafely). This is a good trick to teach older kids.
Cut slabs of about ½"-3/4" in size. Consistency is more important than thickness, here — we want everything to cook evenly.
Now, slice the slabs into fries. Some pieces will have perfect straight edges, some might be irregular — don’t worry, all will be good to eat.
Before you lay out the fries on a parchment line cookie sheet, put them in a bowl and toss lightly with olive oil (or, another vegetable oil). Lay out the fries so they are not touching; you may need more than one cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (or paprika or garlic powder, whatever you can think of).
Bake on one side for about 15 minutes or until the skin is browning and blistery. Now, flip the fries (careful, as they will be hot) and bake on the other side for the same amount of time. Try one to make sure they are cooked through. Serve immediately. I like to dip mine into mayonnaise, but “others” in my house will not veer away from ketchup. BBQ sauce is also an excellent option.
Recipe: Sweet Potato Fries
Estimate 1 sweet potato per person
Ingredients
Sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Peel your sweet potato. You don’t need to wash it; you want it as dry as possible to hold onto the oil.
- Slice the potato into slabs about ½"-3/4" thick. Now, cut these slabs into strips. Consistency in size is more important than thickness.
- In a large bowl, toss the strips with just enough oil to coat them lightly.
- Lay the fries onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, make sure the fries are not touching (otherwise, they will become soggy). You may need more than one sheet.
- Sprinkle with salt and some fresh ground pepper.
- Put them in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip the fries and bake another 15 minutes. When done, the fries should be cooked through, browning and slightly blistering on the outside. Serve immediately.
Sue Riedl is a Toronto-based food writer with a passion for cheese who writes a column called The Spread for The Globe and Mail. She loves to push stinky cheese on her 4-year-old.
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by Sue Riedl