Awhile back, a friend of mine asked that I post this recipe here on Cook on a Shoestring.  It’s a fairly simple one to make, it costs very little, and it tastes amazing.  I’m talking about Oven Baked French Fries.

Now a traditional french fry involves deep-frying a slice of potato in hot oil, draining it, salting it, and serving it with ketchup.  The problem here is that deep-frying is incredibly unhealthy.  Don’t get me wrong: I’m not the least bit above deep-frying (in fact, deep-fried turkey is the best kind of turkey I’ve ever eaten), but let’s not kid ourselves.  It isn’t healthy, and you can’t afford to do it all the time (at least, not if you want to live past 40).  So let’s talk about oven baked french fries.

Oven baked french fries are like a cross between french fries and baked potatoes.  You cut them up like french fries, smear a little oil on them, but then you bake them in the oven.  It actually is about that simple, but I’ll spell out the recipe anyway. Here we go.

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes (or approximately 1 per person)
• Olive or vegetable oil
• Spices (e.g. salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, etc.)

The Process:

1. Preheat your oven to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash your potatoes, and cut them into wedges on a clean cutting board.
3. Lay the wedges on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil (we line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier, but this is entirely optional).
4. Lightly glaze the wedges with oil–you can drizzle it or you can deliberately wipe each wedge with oil; it’s up to you.
5. Sprinkle a sufficient coating of spices on the wedges.  The amount is entirely subject to your taste buds;  I like my food spicy, so I use a good bit of cumin and crushed red pepper, but if all you want is salt or salt and pepper, that’s fine.
6. Cook the wedges in the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes–or until the tips begin to brown and the wedges are sufficiently softened.
7. Remove the wedges from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.
8. Serve them with ketchup, ranch dressing, cheese, or any other sides you enjoy with baked potatoes or french fries.

Oven baked french fries are fine as a stand-alone meal, but they also make a great side dish.  This recipe is extremely versatile, and since potatoes are very inexpensive, it won’t cost you much.

Filed under: Recipes

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