Baked Shoestring Fries with Fresh Chives

For those of you who are new to the Veg World, you may not know that my maiden name is McManus (meaning I am 50% Irish)! Aside from having some Irish blood, I grew up Catholic in a predominantly Catholic community and went to Catholic grade school, high school and college. That’s a whole lotta Irish Catholic-ness (not a word I know), huh?! It’s very fitting that I married into a family of Notre Dame graduates/fans…

Needless to say, I have participated in my fair share of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. In grade and high school, they involved going to mass and enjoying Irish potatoes and shamrock shakes. [BTW – who here has had an Irish potato? Amazing, right?] By college, we were celebrating in a different way (I bet you can guess how)! No matter what I was doing, I have always loved St. Patrick’s Day.

I kicked off this week with my Healthier Shamrock Shake, and am excited to share another recipe in honor of this weekend’s holiday, featuring the quintessential Irish food: potatoes. There’s so much to love about these Baked Shoestring Fries with Fresh Chives. For one, they are SO crispy.

You will get the same satisfaction out of eating these as you do when you snack on classic french fries, but without using frying oil or deep fryers. Toss with some fresh chives, sea salt, and black pepper, and you will be in fry heaven! If there is such a place, I’d like to go ;-)…

The best part about these is their versatility. Eat them as a side at dinner, throw them onto salads for some added crunch, or serve with eggs in the morning. You literally can’t go wrong with crispy potatoes. While white potatoes have gotten a bad rep in the past, they actually have an impressive nutrition profile and can easily fit alongside other nutritious whole foods.

Potatoes are loaded with vitamin C, B vitamins, and potassium. They also contain resistant starch, which acts in a way similar to fiber in the body and may benefit the gut. Sure, maybe eating white potatoes at every meal is too much, but the same goes for every food. If you enjoy white potatoes and primarily eat them baked (instead of fried), they can be a great addition to a balanced plate.

You may be wondering how I made these into shoestring fries. I used the spiralizer! Another reason I LOVE this kitchen tool.

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Baked Shoestring Fries with Fresh Chives

Crispy fries without a deep fryer. Using a spiralizer and the oven, you can have delicious shoestring fries in no time. Toss with fresh chives, salt and pepper for a tasty treat.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 russet potatoes scrubbed
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh chives chopped
• Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Run both potatoes through the spiralizer. Use scissors or a knife to slice them into smaller pieces. Transfer to baking sheets and spread into an even layer to prevent overlapping (as much as possible).

3. Drizzle olive oil, sea salt and pepper over potatoes, and toss with your hands. 

4. Bake for 15 minutes, and remove from oven. Take out pieces that are already crispy and do your best to flip the fries to promote even baking. Bake for 5 minute intervals, removing the crispy pieces after each interval. It took me 2 intervals of 5 minutes (10 minutes total) after the initial 15 to get to my desired level of crispness. This will also depend on your oven, so keep a careful eye. If the fries are on the brink of being crispy, you can also remove them from the oven and let them sit for a while. This will help them crisp up.

5. Toss with fresh chives, and more salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm and enjoy! 

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Have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!

Lizzie