Super Sides: Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato Fries -- great for snacks or a side dish

The Occasion: Kids at the table – or kids at heart who've never outgrown the joy of French fries. Also good for game day snacks, in case there are any March Madness maniacs out there.

Why This Works: Baked, not fried. Orange, not white. (More nutrients that way, right?) Fan favorites. 

Why I Almost Didn’t Include This: Because you’re probably already making sweet potato fries three times a week and I’m the very last person to jump on the bandwagon. Better late than never? 

The Process and The Verdict: I started with a Mark Bittman/New York Times recipe and modified it based on suggestions in the comments and my own common sense. It’s now a slightly longer process with more potschke-ing (comes from the Yiddish for ‘fussing with it’) but results in a supremely delicious batch of crisp-tender French fries. Worth it! These fries will be the first thing to disappear from everyone’s plate. Make lots.

​Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Printable Recipe- Sweet Potato Fries
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Sweet Potato Fries
Recipe source: Mark Bittman for New York Times Cooking – with slight adaptations
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, your choice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

 
DIRECTIONS:

• Heat the oven to 400. Prepare 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper to fit inside.
• Cut the sweet potatoes into thin sticks about 1/4-inch wide and 3 inches long.

Optional step for extra crispiness: Rinse the potato strips in a bowl of cold water to reduce starchiness. Then dry the potatoes thoroughly on paper towels before proceeding to the next step.

• Toss potato strips with the oil in a bowl. Mix the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix them with the sweet potatoes.
• Spread the sweet potato fries out in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets.
• Place the baking sheets into the oven, using the top and middle racks. Get your timer handy, you’re going to need it. Total oven time is about 25 minutes give or take, and you’ll be flipping fries and rearranging baking sheets throughout the whole time.
• After 8 minutes, take out the pans and flip the fries with a spatula. Don’t worry, they’re not supposed to look done or crispy yet.
• When you return the pans to the oven, be sure to switch their locations – top/middle and also front/back of the pan.
• Bake for about 10 minutes, until the bottoms are brown and crisp. Flip the fries back to the first side and return the pans to the oven, doing the top/middle, front/back switcheroo once again.
• Bake for a final 8 minutes or so until the fries are brown and crispy all over, to suit your taste.
• Serve hot.

If you had to pick one for the rest of your life, would it be regular French fries, sweet potato fries, or onion rings? Tell me in the Comments