Grilled cheese sandwiches are definitely at the top of my list of favorite comfort foods, along with homemade mac n' cheese and chicken dumpling soup. I was feeling a little out of sorts today, and a teeny tiny bit lazy, and so I decided to make a spicy grilled cheese with a side of oven-baked garlic herb french fries.
I definitely prefer homemade french fries to fast-food ones or frozen ones, because you know exactly what goes into them, exactly what kind of oil is used, and as an added bonus, you can cook them to your desired level of crispiness AND they'll taste delightfully fresh. My two exceptions are Red Robin's steak cut fries with a side of teriyaki sauce and Belgium/Amsterdam fries with curry sauce; I would probably trade in an arm and a leg or my firstborn for them. Aside from those two however, I love homemade french fries, and once I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it out.
Garlic and Herb French Fries:
Ingredients:
-2 Russet potatoes, peeled
-2 tbsp chopped parsley
-2 tsp dried oregano leaves
-1 tbsp crushed garlic
-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-Sea salt, to taste
1.) Wash and peel potatoes. Slice potatoes length wise, and then cut into 1/4 in thick sticks
2.) Toss potato wedges into a bowl, fill with cold water, and allow potatoes to rest for 5-10 minutes. This gets some of the starch out, leading to crispier fries.
3.) I prefer to microwave my potatoes before sticking them in the oven, because it definitely reduces the cook time and ensures that all the fries are thoroughly cooked. I poured 1/2 cup water into the bowl, tossed in 1 tsp of oregano and a little bit of the parsley, covered the bowl, and microwaved the fries for 2 minutes.
4.) Once the fries are done in the microwave, pour out the excess water, and pat the potato sticks dry with a paper towel.
5.) After coating the fries with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt, spread them evenly on a foil-lined baking tray, and put them into the oven (preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit), and bake them for 15 minutes on each side (30 minutes total).
6.) After about 30 minutes, they should look like this, browned a little bit and perfectly crispy. You can bake them for a little shorter or little longer period, depending on how soft or crispy you like your fries.
7.) As soon as the fries are out, put a pan on the stove over a medium flame, add the other tbsp of olive oil and sautée the garlic and herbs for about a minute.
8.) Toss the fries into the pan and coat them in the garlic-herb mixture.
9.) Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the fries and voilà. Yum!
Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwich:
Ingredients:
-2 slices of bread
-2 tbsp of fat free cream cheese
-2 slices extra sharp cheddar cheese
-2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
-olive oil spray
1.) Spread 1 tbsp of fat free cream cheese on each slice of bread. Add extra sharp cheddar cheese to one slice and chili flakes to the other. Combine the two slices and grill for about 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and gooey.
2.) Enjoy with a side of garlic herb fries.
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