Burgers and Fries

Oh yes, the classic burger and fries. It reminds me so much of when I was a kid. Dad would grill the burgers and Mom would fry the fries. Mom would always make sure we had a good TV show playing since we liked to usually run around the house and accidents were normal during those times. Mom didn’t want grease burn accidents, so it was either Nickelodeon or our favorite Disney movie. It kept us 4 kids quiet long enough.

When dinner was ready, we used to race to the plates and get our fix. Burger night was awesome!

Now that the hubs and I are trying to eat better, burgers and fries just weren’t on our mind. I’ve tried the whole oven fries thing before, but with tasty but mushed up results. After reading a few raves about a recipe that Annie of Annie’s Eats featured, I decided to try this technique. What would it hurt, right?

The results? The crispy flavorful fries that I remember, except, well Ore-Ida didn’t make these. 🙂 This recipe was easy and just plain delicious. Best of all? Only 5 tablespoons of oil are used for the whole recipe! Awesome. Definitely Weight Watchers friendly. 🙂

Another great thing about this meal? The burger buns. These were provided to me for free by Nature’s Pride and Foodbuzz as a part of the Tastemaker program. My husband and I were sent a pack of these to sample, and we were thrilled to get something whole wheat. They were delicious!

Baked Oven Fries
Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats (originally by Cooks Illustrated)

Ingredients:

• 3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
• 5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp. cajun seasoning, plus more to taste (like Tony Chachere’s)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 475˚ F.  Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl.  Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes.  Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet.  Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this).  Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper.  Set aside.
2. Drain the potatoes.  Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels.  Pat dry with additional towels.  Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry.  Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.  Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes.  Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer.  Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes.  Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.
3. When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease.  Season with the cajun seasoning, to taste.  Serve warm.