Okay, yeah, I'm aware that there are a million and one blogged recipes for baked sweet potato fries... but I LOVE sweet potatoes. If you know me, you know I'll pick the orange stuff over a white potato any day! Unless it's mashed potatoes... but that's a different story. So, let me cut to the chase. Sweet potato fries are basicalllyyy the best thing ever.
And these are my three magic ingredients! Mazola corn oil, garlic salt, and Jamaican pepper blend. These ensure my sweet potatoes are sweet, savory, and a little bit spicy, not to mention crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside! Mmm. Pure starchy bliss.
The best part about baked sweet potato fries is that they are so super easy-peasy, it's almost silly to NOT make them all the time. Prep is minimal: just wash and cut your potatoes, toss them in the oil and spices, and put them single-layer on a lined baking sheet. The longest part is cooking them, but if you get them started first thing, they will be ready with the rest of your dinner!
These fries may be ugly, but they are so tasty! I don't know about you, but I'll always pick delicious-but-ugly food over pretty-but-gross food! Especially when it comes to savory dishes... it's hard to pretty them up. Cupcakes and cookies? Add a pretty swirl of frosting, some sprinkles, a drizzle of chocolate... sugar makes it so easy for food to be gorgeous. But salty food? How in the world am I supposed to make sweet potato fries look stunning? Answer: I can't. But maybe someday... In the meanwhile, make these! They go great with any main dish you can think of. Fish, chicken, turkey, pork... and grilled cheeseburger wraps. Which I will blog about next!
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Yields: about 4 servings
4 sweet potatoes {I try to buy long, skinny ones over short, fat ones!}
¼ cup of Mazola corn oil, more or less as needed
½ tablespoon garlic salt
½ tablespoon Jamaican pepper blend {or coarsely ground black pepper}
Preheat the oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and set aside.
Wash and scrub your sweet potatoes very well under cold water. You can peel them, but I usually don't! Whatever you prefer. Dry them with a paper towel. Cut the potatoes in half width-wise, then in half length-wise. Take your flat potato quarters and slice them into rough fries! You don't have to be perfect, just try to make them all about the same size so they will cook evenly. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl, then top with Mazola corn oil, garlic salt, and the pepper blend. Toss with a large spoon or your hands to distribute the seasonings. Dump the whole thing on your prepared baking sheet, and spread the fries so they are in a single layer. Bake in your preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, until the potatoes start to get slightly golden and blistered. Watch the bottoms! Sometimes, the tops will look perfect while the bottoms are burnt black. Not that I know from experience... Serve immediately with your dish and dipping sauces of choice! I personally think they are delicious with Miracle Whip... but that's just me.
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