Oven Baked French Fries

Hot, salty, greasy, french fries. Yum. Nothing goes better with a burger than french fries...nothing goes better with hot dogs...or chicken, ribs, steak, fish, or chili...french fries go with just about anything.

But, how does one who is health-conscious reconcile the guilty pleasure? Baked? Aha...much better.

In my quest to keep churning out good, tasty, and healthy food from my kitchen, I have tried several methods of making french fries that would be healthy, and make me feel good and guilt-free to serve them to those I love - and for me.

Start with the kind of potato. I have used russet, white rose, red rose or sweet potatoes - and I don't peel them. Wash and scrub with a brush.

Slice them lengthwise into wedges as thick or thin as you like. Place them into a clean dish towel and dry them as much as you can. This avoids sogginess.

Place the wedges into a big bowl. Sprinkle in some olive oil. Salt, pepper, and grill seasoning, Lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 425º oven for about 15 to 20 minutes (depending on how thick they are and how well done you like them).

Garlicky Baked Fries are easy to make too. Chop up some fresh garlic, and when the fries come out of the oven, sprinkle the chopped garlic right onto the fries while they are on the cookie sheet and let them warm up the garlic.

Parmesan Cheese Fries is another variation that I learned from my mother. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on the fries as soon as they come out of the oven.

Enjoy!