Baked Potato Wedges

Prep Time: 25 minutes         Cooking Time: 30 minutes 

Equipment: 
oven
knife and cutting board
paper towels
bowl
rimmed baking sheet
measuring spoons
aluminum foil
metal tongs      
                                                                  
Servings: 2         Serving Size: ½ potato 
 

Ingredients:
1 large (~4”) russet potato (peeled and cut into wedges)
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided (or cooking spray)
½ teaspoon salt 
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions: 
1.    Thoroughly scrub potato and cut into 12 wedges, about ½ inch or less at thickest part.
2.    Place potato wedges into a bowl and cover with hot water, let soak for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 475F degrees.
3.    Put 1 tablespoon of the oil onto the baking sheet (or use a cooking spray for less calories) and coat evenly, sprinkle the pan with salt and pepper.
4.    Pat the wedges dry, and toss with the remaining oil. 
5.    Arrange on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Or, don’t toss with oil, rather spray them with cooking spray after arranging on sheet.
6.    Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes.
7.    Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are golden brown (15 minutes).
8.    Using tongs, flip the wedges. Continue baking until crisp (10 minutes).
9.    Transfer cooked fries to a paper-towel to blot off some of the oil, if needed, and sprinkle with additional seasoning for taste.

Variations:
•    You can skip step 2 if you do not have the time. It makes a crispier fry, but that step isn’t necessary if you do not have time!
•    Add ¼ tsp cayenne pepper and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder for zesty fries.
•    Replace russet potatoes with sweet potatoes.  Add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon for a sweet treat.
•    Add ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, and ¼ tsp onion powder for savory fries.
•    Add some spice to your normal ketchup.  Add hot sauce to make it spicy!