After I photographed these fries tonight, I left the plate on the table while I finished getting dinner ready. I heard the scrape and squeak of a kitchen chair slowly moving across the floor, but didn’t look. Next thing I know, my husband is telling Paige to get off the table and stop eating all the fries.

I think the little angel likes these. She was helping herself. Smart girl.

It is absolutely amazing to me how many people adore sweet potato fries — even if they don’t like sweet potatoes. Take my husband, for instance. The man wouldn’t even touch a sweet potato until last year. But one taste of a good sweet potato fry and he was hooked. Love that. And I love that my kids can’t get enough of them either.

This is a new recipe for us — but one that is literally months (okay, maybe a year) in the making. I have been working, trying and testing to get the right combination of sweet and spicy for these fries. I wanted to get the heat, but not have it leave me with a bitter taste in my mouth.

Finally – FINALLY – I got it right.

Chipotle Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries
serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into fry shapes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper (available in spice section of the supermarket or through Penzeys)
1 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients in a resealable bag or container (you need room to spare) and shake until well coated. Spread the fries out in a single on a jelly roll plan that has been covered with nonstick aluminum foil (I use Reynolds brand). Avoid overcrowding.

Place the pan in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes, flipping the fries every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.

Serve immediately.

Growing up, we ate a lot of baked potatoes. A lot. I would load mine up with butter and salt, at first. But that got boring. Then I turned to mixing in salsa and occasionally adding cheese. That’s tasty, but I like it to be a tasty treat — not an all the time thing. These days, I just slice baked potatoes and salt them. Unless I am making a meal out of them, which happens most often in the fall when the leaves are turning and air begins to take on that familiar chill, a preview of the long months of winter that will come. When I am making a meal of them, I like to add broccoli, bacon and cheese. Good combination.

In the spring and summer though, we eat a lot of potatoes — in fry form. Sometimes I grill them, other times I make delicious sweet potato fries (or my fave: Parmesan Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries) … and of course there are oven fries. Mmm. Fries are the perfect accompaniment for barbecued foods like burgers, hot dogs, chicken … you name it.

These steak fries are fabulous with chicken like the Salt and Pepper Chicken Breasts recipe I wrote about last week. The chicken is delicious served plain with these fries and a side of a colorful veggie. It’s even better if you put the chicken on a roll with some barbecue, cheddar and bacon. Mmmm.

(P.S.: I just ordered the Progressive International Vegetable/French Fry Cutter. If it works well, you will be hearing a lot more about it … and more fry recipes. Who doesn’t enjoy low-fat, crispy fries with fun flavors?)

Asiago Pepper Steak Fries
serves 4

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed clean (2 1/2-3 inches in diameter at the fattest part)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
1 tsp black pepper
sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the potatoes into 8 wedges each. Combine the potatoes, oil, asiago and pepper in a resealable bag and shake well to coat.

Spread the wedges in a single layer on a jelly roll pan that is either topped with nonstick aluminum foil or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly sprinkle with salt.

Slide the tray into the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, flipping every five minutes. The steak fries are ready when they are golden brown on the outside.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt again. Serve immediately.

Devour.

“Mommy, I wannnnt an app-pull.”

“No, Will, this is a potato, not an apple, silly!”

“Mommy, I want a potato.”

The little hand is outstretched, reaching for the just washed, raw potato . . .

“You will have some, Will, but it needs to be cooked first. Raw potatoes are yuck.”

We have conversations like this a lot in my kitchen. Sometimes it’s the potatoes, other times it’s uncooked pasta or rice. Fortunately, I think he’s beginning to catch on. These days, Will asks for me to “cook it!” a lot more often.

The other night, I knew I wanted to make some potatoes. But time wasn’t on my side. That’s how I came to slice them. I wanted them to be flavorful, but didn’t want the hassle or mess of tossing them in herbs and olive oil, so I drizzled and sprinkled instead. It was only later that I realized the tremendous potential for cheesing them up and giving them a salty zest with bacon.

Shawn suggested that a final sprinkling of sea salt might be a good idea too . . . I was okay without it, but keep that in mind when you try these.

Bonus points: They are ridiculously easy to make. In fact, I made them, for the most part, one-handed since Paige was in a you-must-hold-me-all-night mood. Fortunately for her, she’s so darn cute that I can’t say no.

Bacon Cheddar Potatoes
serves 4

4 medium potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
chili powder
1/2 cup sharp cheddar
1-2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash potatoes. Then cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking oil. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Lightly sprinkle with chili powder.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheddar and bacon. Place back in the oven and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve hot.

We love us some potatoes in this house. Whether its some quickly whipped up mashed potatoes, which can be a quick and versatile starch to accompany meals, or baked fries and roasted potatoes, it’s tasty stuff.

In terms of types of potatoes, we are pretty open.

A sampler of types of potatoes:

• Red potatoes are great for boiling, roasting, baking and potato salad. But they are too wet for hash browns.
• Idaho potatoes are a great all-purpose potato that can be used for hash browns, baked potatoes, roasting, fries or mashed potatoes.
• Fingerling potatoes are great for roasting.
• Yukon Gold potatoes are good for mashing and roasting.
• New potatoes are best for potato salad. They also are good for roasting.

Potato FAQs:

• Should potatoes be peeled? They can be, but the potato peel is the most nutritious part of the potato, so if you eat it, you’re getting the healthy bits.
• What if a potato has turned green a little? Do not eat it. The green shows the presence of alkaloid, which in potatoes can be toxic to humans.
• What if a potato has eyes? Pick off the eyes and cook as normal – as long as the potato is still firm and has no patches of green anywhere. Click here for more info.

Two Cheese Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
serves 4

2 cups fingerling potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.

Slice the fingerling potatoes in half lengthwise and place in a large Ziploc bag.

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, cheese, salt and pepper. Pour into Ziploc bag.

Add the olive oil to the Ziploc and seal. Shake vigorously until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Pour the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Place in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, until browned and fork-tender. Stir once or twice during cooking to prevent sticking.

If desired, finish with a touch of sea salt.

I was never a fan of baked potatoes. But last year, I suddenly developed a taste for them. Perhaps it was just that until last year I had never had a baked potato with toppings or fillings. Growing up, it was always bake, squeeze, pop on plate. Sometimes there would be a pat of butter thrown on top and perhaps some salt, but never any exciting toppings like cheese or bacon.

These days, baked potatoes are a staple in our home. They are filling and help us eat smaller portions of protein — definitely a good thing. Potatoes are also inexpensive. But, be sure to eat the skin too – that’s where all the nutrients are.

I made these with delicious, golden-fleshed Yukon Gold potatoes, which are fantastic for mashing (and that is kind of what you do with the filling).

This is another toddler approved meal component. Will loved “finding” the hidden bits of bacon and cheese and ate nearly his whole (small) potato. And they aren’t that bad for you — all in all, they are about 380 calories or so (this is an estimate based on my calculation on SparkRecipes.com). So, if you serve them with a bit of veggies and a small hunk of lean protein, this can still be a pretty fit meal.

Cheddar Bacon Twice Baked Potatoes
serves 4

4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
1/3 cup milk (I use 1%)
salt and pepper
3/4 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese, plus 1 tbsp
4 slices uncooked bacon, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick each potato a couple of times with a fork. Place on the rack in the oven and cook for an hour. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before handling.

Cook the bacon and discard any fat drippings.

Slice a thin strip off the top of each potato. Scoop out insides into a medium bowl. Add milk, salt and pepper to the bowl. Using a potato masher, mash well.

Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheddar and bacon. Scoop the potato mixture back into the potato shells. Divide the remaining tablespoon of cheddar among the potatoes. Return to oven and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

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I thought this would be a great recipe to share for Eating Leeds’ Potato blogging event. Did you know that this is the International Year of the Potato?

My husband doesn’t like sweet potatoes. He won’t eat them. He turns his nose up when I mention them. It’s one of many veggies that he just doesn’t like. So the other night, I whipped up a batch of Super Easy Low-Fat Oven Fries and made a batch of Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries for Will and I. Yum! Two kinds of low-fat fries with dinner . . . perfect.

Did I mention that my husband hates sweet potatoes? Okay, just checking. That’s important. See, you can imagine my surprise when Shawn saw me plating the food and asked for some of the sweet potato fries too. He asked to eat them. Of course, I couldn’t say no (even though I wanted to eat them all myself. Mine! All mine!). How can you say no to that?

Perhaps better than his requesting some, he ate the whole handful I plopped on his plate and declared them “not bad.” High praise, ladies and gentlemen. High praise.

Will and I, of course, ate a bunch. These were really yummy. I’ve tried to make sweet potato fries before, but they never came out as tasty as these. I hand cut mine, but I recommend using a mandolin to ease the prep time. I am just glutton for punishment. Seriously. Who hand cuts fries when they OWN several devices that will do it for them? Geez.

Now, a bit about sweet potatoes before I fork over the recipe. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A and vitamin C – both powerful antioxidants. It also is considered an antidiabetic food, which means that it can stabilize blood sugar and lower insulin resistance.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
serves 4-6

Several people have mentioned that their fries didn’t come out crispy. Please note that cooking times are an estimation. Different ovens cook differently so you may need to increase the time to reach desired doneness. Ovens should also be regularly calibrated to ensure that the temperature inside the oven is the temperature on the dial.

1 – 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (preferably the easy release kind).

Peal the sweet potatoes. Cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.

Place the sweet potatoes into a resealable plastic bag. Add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon. Seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until slightly browned. Transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

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These tasty, low-fat fries are healthy too. And that makes them a great submission for Sweetnicks’ ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays, an event that challenges us to cook and eat more antioxidant rich foods.

For years, I have been trying to make a good fry at home that didn’t involve deep frying. No such luck, though. The combinations I tried (cooking method, temperature, oil, etc) just didn’t do it. But these are it. They came out crispy on the outside, soft on the inside — just the way I like ‘em!

These fries are low in fat, since they are oven baked and use little oil, which means I can still eat them whether I am watching my weight or not. They are also highly customizable, which I love.

About Potatoes:
Potatoes are complex carbohydrates (that’s good) and contain about 100 calories each. It’s best to eat them with the skin on, since that is where all the good nutrients like vitamin C are stored. They are good sources of fiber, potassium and are naturally fat and cholesterol free, so long as you keep the skin on (just be sure to wash well to remove any dirt).

4 medium potatoes (I suggest Idaho or Yukon Gold)
2 tbsp olive oil
seasonings of choice (see below)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Wash the potatoes well and pat dry. Using a mandolin or cutting by hand, cut the potatoes into long strips, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch on each side. Put the potatoes in a zipper bag or large bowl and toss with olive oil. Add seasonings and toss again to coat.

Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet in one layer.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing several times during the cooking process. The fries are done when they are a light brown, cooked through and a bit crispy on the outside.

Serve warm.

Seasoning suggestions:

• The Refined Fry: 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary and 1/2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
• Winter Herb Delight: 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp dried basil and 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
• Hungarian Revenge: 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp paprika
• Cajun Capers: 1 tsp Cajun seasoning

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Yes, potatoes are not an herb, but they are a vegetable (although I consider them more of a starch. With all the herby possibilities for seasoning these though, they are a great addition for this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging. WHB was created by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen and is being hosted by The Expatriate Chef from The Expatriate’s Kitchen. Check out the site tomorrow for a roundup of great herb and veggie related posts.

Yesterday afternoon/evening was, in a word, stressful. I battled bumper to bumper traffic to get to Will’s daycare by 5:30 (I got there at 5:31), which always leaves me stressed. Then it took about 15 minutes to drive the one mile or so from daycare to my house.

To ease the nerves, Will and I broke out some cheese and were sampling different varieties (more on that later) when I heard Snoopy bark. Now, I know for some dogs that’s a normal occurance – hell, Scrappy barks all the time. But Snoopy? His bark is kind of like a big foot sighting – you think you heard it but it’s so rare that you have to listen intently for more.

More came, except it was a bark I had never heard from him before – something between a yelp and a growl. I rushed to the back door and saw a gigantic deer (like HUGE) nosing Snoopy up in the air and dropping him. It looked like it was going to charge him or something, perhaps spear him with those enormous antlers.

I ran, down the stairs and across the yard, barefoot and yelling at the beast to “GET AWAY FROM HIM.” Instead of running, it turned and started to come at me. Before I could budge or find something to throw, Scrappy came dashing outside, down the stairs and got between us. The deer went after him and nosed him to the ground too. But then, amid all my yelling (because I was still yelling) and all of Scrappy’s barking (and Snoopy’s too), it finally turned and ran off into the woods.

Now I wonder, should I be concerned about playing or cooking in my yard? I wouldn’t want Will to be attacked by the monstrous deer. I hate nature.

(Don’t worry, everyone is okay.)

I did end up cooking in my yard though last night. It was in the plan, and far be it from me to deny the plan (especially when it’s MY plan).

Anyway, I had picked up a delicious twin pack of Chef Bruce Aidells’ sausage at Costco last weekend (Mango and Sun-Dried Tomato flavors). Costco had set up a little tasting station and it was good stuff, so I grabbed a pack. It’s chicken sausage, and these flavors are gluten-free and dairy-free. Though my family isn’t on the gluten- or dairy-free track, maybe yours is. I decided to cook up some Mango for dinner last night since I am not sure that Shawn will go for the Sun-Dried Tomato.

It was delicious. And since it’s precooked, it only took about 8 minutes on the grill. How easy is that? Will loved it so much that he ate two whole links. That’s my boy!

The one funny part is that I have since discovered that the links are in fact breakfast links – LOL, but served with roasted potatoes and corn, they made a good dinner. They are larger than your typical breakfast sausage, but smaller than your average dinner sausage. Ooops.

As for the roasted potatoes? Sorry no pictures. They were simple and tasty as well, but looked a little naked to me. See, Cate (of Sweetnicks fame) and I were having a conversation about organics the other night and she went off about how non-organic potatoes are ranked high (number 10, was it?) on the list of worst non-organic produce in terms of pesticide retention. These were perfect like red potatoes, but they weren’t organic and I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. So I did something I NEVER do – I peeled them.

8 small (or new) red potatoes, peeled if they aren’t organic
2 tbsp olive oil
a generous amount of Kosher salt
a generous amount of pepper
a generous amount of paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Quarter the potatoes. Place all ingredients in a plastic Ziploc bag and shake until evenly coated.

Spread potatoes out on the baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes, turning once about half way through.

I am a big fan of roasting great potatoes, so that’s what I have done with these. Will gobbles them down too, as does my husband (always making sure that I have used the fresh rosemary . . . a few years ago he’d never even seen a fresh herb).

4 cups fingerling potatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.

Slice the fingerling potatoes in half lengthwise and place in a large Ziploc bag.

In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and Romano. Pour into Ziploc bag.

Add the olive oil to the Ziploc and seal. Shake vigorously until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Pour the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Place in the oven and cook for 35-45 minutes, until cooked through. Stir once or twice to prevent sticking.

If desired, finish with a touch of sea salt.

Now if I could just have a night where dinner doesn’t entail me leisurely cooking the meal, and then rushing to scarf it down so that I can run out to work, it would be perfect. Actually, tonight just might be that night.

With any luck.

Grilled Potato Wedges
serves 2-3

2 large Idaho potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 to 1 tsp salt, depending on taste
1/2 tsp pepper

Slice the potatoes into eight wedges each, lengthwise.

Combine all ingredients in a large sealable bag and shake vigorously until well coated.

On a preheated grill, roast the potatoes turning frequently until all sides are browned and crisp.

Let cool 5 minutes before serving, so as not to burn your tongue.