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Easy Baked Fries + Guacamole
I can hardly call this a recipe as it’s just so basic.
Except, I’m learning over and over how nice those types pf recipes are anyway. Nobody wants to spend all day in the kitchen cooking, every, single, solitary day, agreed? In fact, most of us want to get in, get food made (with minimal mess), and have it ready to devour. Am I right? I think I’m right.
Oh, and I just realized today’s the first day of Summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. Happy Summer my friends and I hope you’re getting ready to live it up this season. Honestly, I didn’t plan this recipe for today but I can’t imagine a more perfect way too greet the warmth and sunshine than this. The creamy guac makes the perfect dip for these. Of course ketchup will always be the perfect counterpart to a fry, but if you’ve never tried this particular combo before….what are you doing with your life? :O
You’ve probably made both fries and guacamole before and know that it’s a walk in the park. I realize this, and like I said, it’s hardly a recipe. However, I just really like to share inspiring pictures of deliciousness so I decided to go ahead with it. Yep, so basically this is just for the visuals. But that’s what ya get for living in the age of social sharing platforms.
So I hope you’re making some amazing and fun plans for the Summer. Whatever the case though, these fries should definitely be involved. I personally love fries any time of day, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, snacking, or dinner. Honestly I’d even eat them for dessert, lol.
Also, if you’ve got another amazing idea for dipping fries in I’d love to know about it. Share it down in the comments and I’d love to know what you think about this almost-but-not-quite-a-recipe. 😉
Easy Baked Fries + Guacamole
It doesn't get easier or more delicious than fries and guac. Enjoy them anytime; dinner, lunch, snack, appetizer, or even breakfast!Prep Time 15 minutesCook Time 45 minutesTotal Time 1 hourServings 4 servingsIngredients
Fries:
- 3-4 large russet or Idaho potatoes scrubbed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Guacamole:
- 2 very ripe avocados pits and shells removed
- 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 C) and line a baking tray with foil.
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Chop potatoes into matchsticks and toss with olive oil and seasoning in a large bowl and spread out in an even layer on tray and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove from oven and toss a little bit then return to oven and bake for 15 to 25 more minutes until crispy. I like to start checking them at about 10 minutes to make sure there are none getting burned. Remove from oven and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
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Roasted Purple Potatoes & Green Beans
You know those nights when you just can’t even think about making something complicated for dinner?
Maybe it’s been a really long day, or even week, and the thought of preparing anything that requires more than minimal effort is really unappealing. Usually in my house this is when the freezer gets opened by one of the boys and the frozen pizzas go into the oven….or worse, the microwave (oh the horror!)
You’d maybe think that this type of thing doesn’t happen in my house since I’m constantly sharing recipes. Well, you guys, it totally does sometimes. In fact, on a busy day when I’m working on specific recipes sometimes I just haven’t made anything dinner-worthy. For example, if I’m working on a cake recipe, then heading out to the gym, and/or grocery shopping, then working on emails and writing posts, I can sometimes get to the end of the day and realize there’s just no time for an elaborate meal. While there are some of my family members that are plenty happy with packaged and frozen foods, I personally prefer to at least have something green or fresh on my plate, you know?
So while, yes it isn’t as instant as a pack of ramen, it’s definitely a little more nutritious and the smell of these flavors filling your kitchen alone should be enough to make it worth it. Besides, the majority of time spent on this meal is hands-off so you can be working on another task while this cooks and then before you know it you’ll have a wholesome, not to mention colorful, meal set and ready to go and barely any dishes to clean up. Now that’s a win win in my book!
Roasted Purple Potatoes & Green Beans
Dress up your dinner table sides with this simple and colorful purple potato dish.
Prep Time 15 minutesCook Time 45 minutesTotal Time 1 hourIngredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds small 2-inch-diameter purple potatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 pound green beans
- 1 medium lemon thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound portobello mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place potatoes in a medium bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat then spread on baking sheet in an even layer. Place in oven to bake for about 20 minutes on their own.
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Combine another tablespoon oil, green beans, lemon slices, and herbs in same bowl from potatoes; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. After the potatoes have cooked about 20 minutes add mixture to sheet pan, mixing in with potatoes and return to oven for about 15 minutes longer.
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After those 15 minutes, toss the mushrooms in the same bowl and place on the pan with the rest of the ingredients. Return pan to oven and roast until potatoes are beginning to brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let it cool for 5–10 minutes. Serve Hot.
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Roasted New Potato & Arugula Salad
Happy Monday guys, I finally had a little time to do some recipe planning and cooking and I’ve got one of them to share today.Last week after I got home from Cali was such a whirlwind. I mean, I really enjoyed being busy and then skiing over the weekend because the season is getting close to over and it might be one of the last times. The fact that we’re getting a ton of snow now has us all surprise/not surprised because we had those few weeks at the beginning of the month where all the snow was melting off and we were wondering about an early Spring. Apparently that’s too good to be true up here. I should have known, but a girl can hope right?
Okay, I have to ask you, are there any foods that you get made fun of for liking? My family makes fun of me for the brussels sprouts. Would someone please tell me that they also like them.
Hey, it’s totally in a teasing way and that’s what you do with close friends and family. It’s part of the deal. My younger sister has a bit of a mayo obsession and we all like to tease her when she makes sandwiches by asking if she’d like some bread with her mayonnaise. She typically comes back with a nonchalant and positive response. Super cools about it. So the other day when I was getting all the typical comments about my brussels sprouts I decided to get over it and just own it like she does. I’ll be over here eating my brussels with mayo girl, thank you very much.
Speaking of mayo, that’s something that didn’t make it into this potato salad. I think it’s great that it’s my sister’s thing, but personally I’m not a huge fan of it. I thought some of you might also enjoy a version of potato salad hold the mayo so for this salad we’re going extra basic, just olive oil. Maybe add a little balsamic vinegar on top if you like the flavor.
I realized this makes the perfect in between-seasons-salad. It’s awesome because sometimes during the winter and early Spring I’ll be craving a salad but I want something warm and cozy also. Or maybe during the Spring you want something on the fresh side, but you’re not in the mood for a completely raw salad. It’s a happy medium because you can serve it warm, room temp, or even cold, but for me the best way to have it is right in the middle by serving the roasted brussels and potatoes with everything else at room temp.
Another random question, does it make you really weird if salad for breakfast is a typical thing for you? ‘Cause there are many days when the first thing I want during the day is a salad rather than something on the sweet side or a heavy meal. I’m going to own this one too, give me my salad. Don’t get me wrong though, ya girl loves her chocolate and popular breakfast foods too. I’m thinking pancakes or waffles need to happen soon actually.
Alright, but for today’s recipe it’s really simple guys. All you have to do is prep the potatoes and brussels sprouts and get them roasting in the oven while you gather all the other ingredients for the salad to toss together. So my mom has this thing for buying fancy cheeses for “later” and then forgetting about them and we all have to laugh at it because it’s not uncommon for a block of it that’s turned into a science experiment to be found in the fridge. (Another example of why having a big family to laugh at you and with you is hilarious.) Anyway, she got some Boursin cheese probably a few months ago and I’ve been eying it in the fridge until I finally decided to add it to this salad before it went bad.
I’m glad I did because it adds the perfect finishing touch and made this salad a little more inviting to everyone. By the way though, if you’ don’t eat dairy just skip adding it and the rest is dairy free. Oh, and if you aren’t a fan of the sprouts either, that’s okay, we can still be friends. Just replace them with a veggie you do enjoy like broccoli or cauliflower.
Roasted New Potato & Arugula Salad
Looking for the perfect "It's not quite warm enough for salad" type of salad? This one just might work for you. It's simple, easy, and adaptable to fit your taste.Prep Time 15 minutesCook Time 30 minutesTotal Time 45 minutesServings 4 servingsIngredients
- 1 pound brussels sprouts trimmed and sliced in half
- 1 pound new potatoes washed and halved
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper
- 3 cup fresh arugula greens
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans chopped
Instructions
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Heat oven to 400 degrees F (200C) and line a baking tray with foil. Toss the potatoes, brussels sprouts, garlic, and 1 tablespoon olive oil together in a large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour them out onto the pan and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until browned and tender-crisp, stirring once or twice through cooking.
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While the veggies are roasting, Toss together the arugula and pecans. When the the potatoes and brussels are finished cooking, remove from oven and cool for at least 5 minutes, then gently toss them into the bowl with the rest of the salad and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. You can either serve immediately while still warm, or allow it to reach room temperature, or even chill if you'd like.
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Chunky Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Vegan+GF)
I have an exciting recipe to share with you today guys. I mean, I know it’s pretty classic but personally I tend to go through food moods or get into dinner ruts sometimes and I forget about old favorite dinner recipes from the past. That’s why I thought I’d share this anyway.
Before I get into that; some totally random things about me recently. I rarely have super vivid dreams these days but if I do it’s only when I wake up ridiculously early and then manage to go back to sleep (which that is something I usually can’t do). Anyway, I had this really strange morning dream yesterday where a zombie apocalypse was taking over the globe and I mostly just remember that they were all very purple. Very purple-y zombies, yeah. Weird right? Interpret that however you will but I’ve got no clue what it means.
Secondly, I decided to cut my bangs on my own a few weeks ago and…..well, it ended up being more of a hack job so I’m really excited they are finally going to be long enough to fix soon. Hey, I’ve done it successfully plenty of times in the past but this time I was in a hurry. Not a good idea guys, don’t do it.
Another thing I discovered you should never do the other day, spill boiling roasted plum juice all over your foot. Ouch, that was a total kitchen fail. However, the bbq sauce I made with those plums will be coming soon and that wasn’t a fail.
Also, it’s been really strange/sad around our house the past few days because my little sis, Lela, left bright and early Monday morning for a big adventure trip that’s been in the planning for weeks. She’s going to be camping down in the Southern part of Chile with some close friends of our family for the next week and a half. It sounds like she’s having the time of her life so far and that makes me happy. I still miss her like crazy though.
Okay, but now I need to talk about these sweet potatoes. I know you can stuff sweet potatoes with so many things but chili is like the perfect match. This is a really simple chili that I made for dinner over the weekend and the truth is that these potatoes were inspired by me wanting to use the leftovers.
This makes such a great weeknight dinner to have ready to go too. They’re so filling and always a crowd pleaser. You can pile it with so many delicious topping too. I left it at salsa, plain coconut yogurt, and avocado slices for ours but feel free to throw on some diced onion, hot sauce, or even some crunchy chip crumbs. Go wild and make them your own! I’d love to know what you think in the comments as well so let me know. What are you going to top yours with?
Chunky Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Vegan+GF)
Nothing complements chili quite like some baked potatoes. This recipe uses sweet potatoes and leaves room for all the toppings you want to add.
Prep Time 30 minutesCook Time 1 hourTotal Time 1 hour 30 minutesIngredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes baked until fork tender
Chili:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red or jalapeño pepper seeded and minced
- 1 cup tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water plus a little more as needed
- 3 tablespoons worchestershire make sure it's vegan or skip
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups cooked beans rinsed (I used a combination of lentils, kidney beans, black beans, and white beans)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons sea salt plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Optional Toppings:
- salsa
- sliced avocado or guacamole
- chives or green onions
- coconut yogurt
Instructions
Chili:
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Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, and pepper and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until onions are translucent. Add tomato paste, stock, water, and beans to pot and reduce heat to medium low. Add remaining ingredients for chili and stir very well, then reduce heat to low and allow chili to simmer for at least 30 minutes to develop flavor and thicken up.
Stuffed Potatoes:
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a baking tray with foil.
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Slit your sweet potatoes down the center lengthwise and use a fork to mash them a little and make a place to pour the chili. Set them on the prepared tray and scoop large spoonfuls of chili into each potato. Place tray in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until tops are browned and potatoes are nice and hot. Remove from oven and cool for a few then serve while they're hot with whatever toppings you'd like.
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Warm Sage & Almond Pesto Roasted Potato Salad
You know what is a pretty broad term? Salad.
I feel like I’ve said this same thing many times before, actually I know I have, but it’s as true as ever. Where I grew up in the southern part of the States, every gathering with friends or church potluck was proof of this fact. It may even surprise some of you to know that it’s a common thing to make dessert salads in the mid-west. I kid you not, one popular version of that type of salad includes marshmallows, cherries, and whipped cream. My mom used to make it a lot for parties and we loved it.
I’m just saying, a “salad” doesn’t always refer to a boring pile of greens. In this case I’m calling today’s recipe a salad for lack of a better term, but it could also be called a side dish or something similar. Basically it’s a great way to serve potatoes regardless of what name it’s given.
One of my favorite parts of cooking this time of year are all the herbs and spices that go with the Holiday season. Speaking of which, I’m getting overly ecstatic about how close it is now! Okay, but if I go into that right now I won’t be able to control my desire to chatter your ears off about it. I’ll save my excitement for later and continue what I was saying about herbs.
So we’ve got this little sage plant (named Yoda by the way, isn’t that perfect?) that hasn’t been toughing out the last of the cold weather very well and I thought was going to die on me. As it turns out though, he’s been well named and is a little fighter starting to thrive with the coming of Spring. I keep forgetting to use the fresh sage in my recipes, but I’ve really got to stop because using the fresh leaves is so much better than dried.
What I loved about this dish is how it’s great served cold like a typical potato salad but serving it hot is perfect during the Fall and Winter seasons when you’re wanting a cozier touch.
One last thing, the pesto, omg! There are so many other things that you can do with the pesto besides just putting it with potatoes, but that is definitely a brilliant way to use it if I do say so myself.
Warm Sage & Almond Pesto Roasted Potato Salad
Ditch the mayo and pickles and heat things up with this comforting version of a potato "salad" . It makes a wonderful side dish for dinner parties and holidays.
Prep Time 10 minutesCook Time 45 minutesTotal Time 55 minutesIngredients
- 4 - 5 large Idaho or russet potatoes peeled and cubed
Pesto:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons one small handful fresh sage leaves, washed
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 3 large cloves garlic
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a baking tray with foil. Combine all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until mostly smooth, with a little texture remaining.
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Toss the potato cubes with about 1/2 of the pesto and spread evenly on baking sheet. Roast for 35 - 45 minutes until fork tender and nicely browned, turn halfway through cooking with spatula. Remove and cool for about 5 minutes, then serve hot as a side dish or first course topped with desired amount of the rest of your pesto. Other options; you can add meat to finish the dish and make it a meal. It's also great served cold during warmer seasons.
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Loaded Sweet Potato Chili Cheese Fries (Vegan+GF)
Okay, major confession time……
I’ve never made sweet potato fries before. Don’t judge, it’s just that most of the french fry lovers in my family claim to hate sweet potatoes so I’ve always felt it would be a pointless venture. But now there will be no going back. I’ve opened the door to homemade french frying and everyone knows that they can be done. Fact: there will be more fries happening, a lot of em, and very soon.
I think that if regular potato fries went up against sweet potato fries in a competition to see which tastes better chili-cheesified, the latter would win hands down every time. Sorry regular tatos, we’ll still love you forever, but it’s October and sweet potatoes are calling to us!
Oh, and speaking of October and Fall, this is like the ultimate football season food, because nothing says guy food like chili fries. I have this condition when it comes to making chili though, I end up throwing everything into it before I consider it done. But that’s how it should be with chili, don’t you think? It has to develop its flavor over a long period of time to be at it’s best. Plus, it’s pretty hard to go wrong by adding a little extra this and that to reach chili perfection.
And now that I’ve been making chili for years, I always make it by touch and don’t measure any of it, but I did my best to give you guys an accurate ratio recipe to follow. I still recommend going with your instincts on the final taste, though. Only you know your own preferences so don’t be shy to add a little more of the flavors you love.
For example, sometimes when I’m in the mood for a smokier chili, I basically just keep dumping in the liquid smoke until I taste it. I also like adding miscellaneous things like coffee, cocoa, and cinnamon, to get that perfect depth of flavor. Of course, I make food by the vat these days, so for smaller batches I’d say to take it easier on any drastic flavors. It goes both ways too, I know my chili ingredient list is like 12 miles long, so if there are a few things that you don’t have or you’d rather not add, just skip em. Every batch of chili I make ends up slightly different and I love that.
My brother has always despised sweet potatoes, but I even got him to try these. He loved them actually, and he even said he was really sad when his plate was empty. That says a lot, since he’s a typical growing teen boy that usually finishes his plate thoughtlessly and immediately moves on to the next thing to keep up with his raging metabolism. I think you need to make these this season if you want to really enjoy life’s greatest pleasures. Just sayin’.
Loaded Sweet Potato Chili Cheese Fries (Vegan+GF)
Sweet potato fries are already amazing, but add some flavorful chili and all the toppings and they become exceptional!
Prep Time 20 minutesCook Time 1 hourTotal Time 1 hour 20 minutesServings 4 - 6 servingsIngredients
Chili:
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1/2 - 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce seeded and minced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 1 8- ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup cooked red lentils
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 1 cup cooked white beans
- 2 tablespoons worchestershire check ingredients for anchovies
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons your favorite bbq sauce check ingredients for vegan
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregeno
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon strong black coffee
- salt and pepper to taste
Sweet Tater Fries:
- 3-4 large sweet potatoes peeled
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- shredded non-dairy "cheese" (such as Daiya), cilantro, and sour "cream" or coconut yogurt for serving (optional)
Instructions
Chili:
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Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, and chipotle and cook with just enough water not to let them stick for 1 to 2 minutes until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and beans to pot and reduce heat to medium low. Add remaining ingredients for chili and stir very well, then reduce heat to low and allow chili to simmer for at least 45 minutes to develop it's awesome flavor. This is a good time to make your fries.
Fries:
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 C) and line a baking tray with foil.
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Cut potatoes into fries lengthwise and place them in a large bowl of cold water to soak for about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and lay out on a clean towel and pat dry. Allow them to continue drying as much as possible while your oven heats
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Toss potatoes with seasoning in a large bowl and spread out in an even layer on tray and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove from oven and toss a little bit then return to oven and bake for 15 to 25 more minutes until crispy. I like to start checking them at about 10 minutes to make sure there are none getting burned. Remove from oven and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Chili Fries:
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Top servings of fries with chili, "cheese", cream, and fresh cilantro if desired.
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Tex-Mex Twice Baked Potato Skins (Vegan+GF)
How do you feel about potato skins?
I’ve always been a huge fan of making use of extras and scraps when I’m cooking. I mean, those things can really add up when you do a lot of cooking at home. Potato skins are one of the things that I hate throwing away when making recipes such as mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes.
Personally, I’d just leave the skin on for the recipe but not everyone likes they’re mashed/baked potatoes that way so there’s usually some waste. That’s why I love the idea to make a whole separate recipe with them and I was feeling some Mexican vibes.
I don’t know about you, but I think tater skins are bomb no matter what you put on them. I think I even proved it too! These are so good and they are childishly simple to make. In fact, they’re a great snack to prep with the kiddos because they are so easy.
I’m not saying you can’t add to these though. By all means, go crazy and add anything you’d like, whatever you think these could use. Oh and some cilantro would be great too, I would have added it but I was out of it when I made these. You should definitely throw some on yours though, yum!
Tex-Mex Twice Baked Potato Skins (Vegan+GF)
Bring this fun and delicious snack to your next party or gathering and you'll be sure to have a hit.
Prep Time 25 minutesCook Time 1 hourTotal Time 1 hour 25 minutesServings 4 - 6 servingsIngredients
- 6 - 8 medium potatoes about 3 pounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup sweet whole kernel corn
- 1/2 cup cooked black beans
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 jalapeño pepper minced
- 1/2 to 1 cup guacamole for serving optional
- Taco Seasoning:
- 1/4 teaspoon oregeno
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C). Scrub potatoes and dry then pierce with knife in a few places and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until soft when squeezed. Remove from oven and allow them to cool enough to handle. Cut them in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out center leaving a little bit of flesh. (You can make mashed potatoes with the rest, Yay!)
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Mix taco seasoning in a small bowl. Brush both sides of potatoes with oil, place potatoes face-down on lined baking tray, and sprinkle with seasoning mix. Bake for about 10 minutes until skins start to crisp then remove pan from oven, flip them over onto their backs and fill each skin with tomatoes, corn, black beans, jalapeños, and additional taco seasoning. Bake for another 10 minutes until edges are crisp.
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Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes, then top with guacamole if desired and serve warm.
