I’m sure you’ve seen them. And I hope you’ve tried them. It seems they have taken over the menus of some restaurants in recent months…crispy orange sweet potato fries. But did you know you can make them at home? It’s super simple. Plus, you get the pure benefits of the sweet potato without all the extra preservatives in ones at restaurants or in the freezer section.

Growing up, my only experience with sweet potatoes was the orange mush that came from a can with marshmallows on top at Thanksgiving. NO thank you. A couple years back, a dear friend introduced me to the brand new idea of real sweet potatoes. I admit, I was skeptical. But once I tasted them, a whole new woooorrrlllddd………. My family now loves them too. We usually eat them once a week. So I decided it was about time I share this simple, healthy, delicious treat with you all.

The thing I never knew before was there are actually 16 different varieties of sweet potatoes (also commonly called yams). Don’t be alarmed; there are two basic categories I’ve found common in stores: orange flesh and white flesh. They have a different taste, and I typically alternate between them. There are also some great health benefits of sweet potatoes, including being a good source of vitamins C, B2, B6, E, biotin (B7), and manganese, potassium, folate, copper and iron. Additionally they are a great source of fiber.

So here is a basic recipe that you can change, add to, or alter to your taste buds:

Sweet Potato Fries
2 sweet potatoes (orange for richer taste or white for sweeter taste)
drizzle of olive oil
Sea salt
Other spices of your choice (pepper, parsley, oregano, rosemary OR brown sugar, cinnamon, etc.)

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice sweet potatoes into 1 inch strips (or smaller slices/pieces to cook faster). Put them into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil (just enough that each piece has some oil on it, but they don’t need to be entirely coated). Spread out on a cookie sheet so that they are in a single layer without overlap. Sprinkle on sea salt and other spices of your choice. Bake 20 minutes in preheated oven. Turn them over and sprinkle the other side with spices. Bake another 20 minutes, or longer, until desired texture is reached. I like them crispy and a little golden on the outside, but you may prefer them to have a softer texture.

These go wonderfully with any meat dish, with or in a salad, with quiche or omelets for brunch, or dipped in ranch dressing for a snack. They also keep pretty well as leftovers to be reheated the next day.

My perspective on this super food has drastically changed since my childhood Thanksgiving table. I hope you too can have a new experience in the lovely land of sweet potatoes. Enjoy!

Photo coming soon…