Parmesan & Herb Sweet Potato Fries

Maybe the Steelers won't be playing this year, but that certainly won't stop me from enjoying arguably the best part of the Superbowl, and every football Sunday, the SNACKS!  These crispy baked sweet potato fries are the perfect no-guilt treat that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own couch, and will most definitely be what I will making come Sunday afternoon! The method to these is what makes them crispy & delicious, so is worth reading and following - especially the 1 hour soak time!  

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes (approximately 2 lbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them into fries that are 1/4" thick matchsticks, the thinner the better, but most importantly you want them to be uniform in size.  

Fill a large bowl with cold water & ice, and add the sweet potatoes, letting soak for at least 1 hour.  Drain the water from the bowl, rinse the fries once more with cold water, and then drain thoroughly.  Pat dry with a towel.  This step is extremely important!  It helps to pull some of the starch out of the potatoes, which prevents them from getting crispy.

Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with a nonstick cooking spray.  I use the non-stick olive oil spray, and it works great.

In a large bowl, add the sweet potatoes, drizzle over the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Use your hands to mix everything together, then pour the fries onto the baking sheet, spreading into a single even layer with the fries not touching each other as best as possible.  

Place the baking sheet in the oven in the lower third of the over, and let bake for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, remove from the oven, toss everything around, and spread in a single layer again.  Bake for another 15 minutes until the fries are golden brown.  

Turn off the oven, open the door partially, and allow the fries to rest and crisp up for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and immediately toss with the parmesan, parsley, and another pinch of sea salt, and enjoy!