loaded baked potato fries
WARNING: This recipe is completely indulgent. Procede at your own risk. ;D
So, I saw this recipe for Baked Chili Cheese Fries over at BakedBree.com, and I knew I had to make some. They were every bit as incredible as I had hoped! These fries are restaurant quality, ooey-gooey goodness! They’re already not as guilt-inducing as a restaurant appetizer because they’re not fried, and, if you wanted, you could use 2% cheese and lite sour cream. Actually, the seasoning used on the fries is SO GOOD, that they’re quite addictive even without all of the gooey toppings!
I changed the recipe up a bit to match what I had on hand, but I made sure to keep a few key ingredients. The little bit of worcestershire sauce adds an amazing hint of “steak fry” flavor and I would have never thought to use it. Amazing. The chili powder and garlic powder are key players, but I decided to use smoked paprika instead of plain for an extra kick. And lastly, the cornstarch adds a bit of extra crispness that I’ve not been able to achieve with oven fries before. Genius.
Loaded Baked Potato Fries
Loaded Baked Potato Fries
Loaded baked potato fries are a fun way to have restaurant food at home. Baked instead of fried, these potatoes are a little less guilty.
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs. potatoes $2.61
- 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.22
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce $0.02
- 1 Tbsp chili powder $0.15
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika $0.05
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder $0.02
- 1/4 tsp salt $0.02
- 1/4 tsp cracked pepper $0.02
- 1 1/2 Tbsp corn starch $0.18
- 1 cup shredded cheddar $1.25
- 1/2 bunch green onions $0.38
- 8 oz. sour cream $0.89
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the potatoes well and peel if desired (I like to leave the peel on for extra texture and flavor). Cut the potatoes into strips or “fries”, approximate 1/2 inch thick.
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Place the fries in a bowl and add the olive oil and worcestershire sauce. Toss to coat. In a small bowl combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Stir to combine the spices, then add to the bowl with the fries. Toss to coat once more.
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Line a baking sheet (or two) with foil and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Spread the fries out on the baking sheet so that they are in a single layer and not piling up on each other. Use two baking sheets if needed. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
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After 40 minutes, they should be slightly brown and crispy on the edges. If you cut your fries thicker, they may need more time in the oven. Transfer the fries to an oven safe casserole dish. Top with the shredded cheese and return to the oven for about 5 minutes more or until the cheese is fully melted. Chop the onions while the cheese is melting. Top the fries with the green onions and dollops of sour cream. Serve immediately!
Step By Step Photos
Use about 3-4 lbs. of potatoes. The recipe is flexible. Wash them well and peel if desired. I happen to like potato peels!
Cut the potatoes into “fries” approximately 1/2 inch thick. If you cut them thicker, they’ll take longer to cook and won’t be quite as crispy… but guess what? They’ll still taste amazing!
First, toss the fries in olive oil and worcestershire sauce. Then, in a small bowl, combine the corn starch and dry spices (chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cornstarch). Once the spices and corn starch are mixed, add them to the fries and toss to coat again.
And then they should look a little something like this.
Prepare a baking sheet (or two) with foil and non-stick spray. Spread the fries out into a single layer, using two baking sheets if needed to prevent them from piling up on each other. Bake them in a fully preheated 425 degree oven for 40 minutes, stirring once half way through.
After the fries have baked and gotten crispy on the edges, transfer them to an oven safe casserole dish.
Top the fries with the shredded cheese. Place the dish back into the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
After the cheese has melted, top with sliced green onions and then dollops of sour cream!
Seriously incredible.
Yum, yum, yum!!!! . . Another hit . It was so easy to make and it came out great. I did used a little bit of cayenne pepper to give it an extra kick. Thank you again.
I want to make this recipe, but I wanted to add some bacon on top of the fries. What other toppings would you recommend besides sour cream and cheese? Thanks, Beth, and I LOVE your blog!! :-)
Thinking about adding cooked ground sirloin with the cheese. What do you think?
YUM! :)
I wasn’t paying enough attention, apparently, because I made this with sweet potatoes – still delicious!
I can’t be bothered to toss the seasonings, so I just sprinkled them on after they were spread on the pan. I don’t really measure anything anyway, then we dipped in the cheese sauce that’s sold next to salsa at the grocery.
I’ve attempted this recipe twice now and both times the fries stick to the foil to the point that they are unusable. I even used extra oil this time and tried to turn them at 15 minutes. I’ve never had a problem like this with any other recipe, what the heck am I doing wrong?
Hmm, I’m not sure. I bet, though, that using parchment instead of foil would work really well. Nothing sticks to parchment! :)
I made these the other night and absolutely loved them. I had to make my own chili powder, but thankfully I had all the spices.
This is so good I made it tonight but I also added in some jalapenos while I was baking with the cheese and then I also put fresh tomatoes on it it was so good.
What’s the purpose of the corn starch in this recipe? Do you need it?
It’s supposed to help crisp up the outside. I saw it a few places, so I thought I’d give it a try. Not sure how well that actually worked.
A while ago, before the site redesign, I bookmarked you Mixed Potato Home Fries recipe (http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/01/mixed-potato-home-fries-251-recipe-063.html) and now that link points me to this recipe and I can’t find the other one by searching. Can you help? I had the Mixed Potatoes at a potluck and asked for the recipe, but I haven’t made them yet and was thinking about whipping them up for my first Thanksgiving. Thank you so much, Beth! Keep up the good work!
I think that one got deleted in the move to the new site. :(
Someone reposted it and credited you on foodily:
http://www.foodily.com/r/txw64DIhQ-mixed-potato-home-fries-by-budget-bytes
Nice that they credited you but they and another blog; Spoonacular, both pointed to your blog post for detailed cooking instructions. Here were the ingredients though:
Ingredients for 4 servings:
3 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion
about 1 lb. sweet potato
about 1 lb. red potatoes
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
to taste Tony Chachere’s
1 handful fresh parsley
Hopefully that gives some insight to both of you if you want to re-create it.
Also, Beth, I’m browsing your site almost daily for ideas. Keep being awesome.
I made this for my boyfriend last Sunday for the bears game and your right about this recipe being restaurant quality. so delicious not to mention our 15 month old daughter and I help devour them as well. thank you, well done.
These ended up having a weird texture for me. I think it was the cornstarch, maybe because I didn’t use the cheese and sour cream (I’m lactose-intolerant), so there was no contrast there. The flavor also wasn’t as strong as I like, so I’ll have to play with this one a bit, but I love the idea.
Any health food store has vegetarian Worcestershire sauce but yeah, anchovies are in the regular store brands. Thankfully I do have the veggie version in my fridge so I can try this. :)
making these right now, along with panko/honey mustard chicken strips! can’t wait.
nice idea.. thanks for posting..