Baked Sweet Potato Fries (with spicy ranchero sauce)

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I don't remember having sweet potato "fries" when we were kids, but they certainly seem to be a popular restaurant item nowadays!  Maybe kids like them because they have that inherent sweetness to them... maybe parents like them because they are different; a change from the usual fried potatoes.  Regardless, sweet potatoes are SUPER nutritious, so having different ways to enjoy them seems like a pretty good deal.  

I don't really like frying stuff in my house, and none of us need all the extra fat and calories that come from deep fried goodies on a regular basis... so to make these sweet potato "fries," I threw them in the oven.  To make them crispy on the outside, they are lightly coated with extra virgin olive oil, and I switched from "bake" to "broil" for the last 5 minutes.

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Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes (makes a whole pan)
• extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• cracked black pepper
• ground cumin
• * dipping sauce of choice.  

I used the prepared (Taco Bell Brand) - Bold and Creamy Spicy Ranchero Sauce.  I wanted to do a red curry mayo dipping sauce, but couldn't find my curry paste.  You could also go sweet - like a spicy apricot dip with red pepper flakes, etc but I happen to like the sweet fries balanced by a savory spicy dip. Now of course you can eliminate the dip altogether for less calories... but a little indulgence goes a long ways towards making you feel happy on the inside!

Step-by-Step:

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into "fries" that are as equal in size as you can get them.  This will ensure even cooking.  

Toss them with a little extra virgin olive oil, then rearrange in a single layer on the pan.  You want the olive oil to be on all sides of the potatoes so they won't stick to the pan  - because they have a lot of sugar in them.

Season with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and some wonderfully smoky cumin.  (I think some red pepper flakes would be pretty cool, too... but I didn't think my kids would appreciate that.)

Bake at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes - carefully turning them over halfway through.  Then, switch the oven to Hi Broil for another 5 minutes to help develop a crispy exterior.  Remove them from the oven and let them sit out for several minutes.  They will firm up even further.

Method: 

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into "fries" that are as equal in size as you can get them.  This will ensure even cooking.  Toss them with a little extra virgin olive oil, then rearrange in a single layer on the pan.  You want the olive oil to be on all sides of the potatoes so they won't stick to the pan  - because they have a lot of sugar in them.  Season with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and some wonderfully smoky cumin.  (I think some red pepper flakes would be pretty cool, too... but I didn't think my kids would appreciate that.)  Bake at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes - carefully turning them over halfway through.  Then, switch the oven to Hi Broil for another 5 minutes to help develop a crispy exterior.  Remove them from the oven and let them sit out for several minutes.  They will firm up even further.