Freezer French Fries

Potatoes are on sale right now (10 lbs or more for less than $2). To capitalize on this bargain, I like to buy a few bags and process them all for the freezer. The trick to freezing potatoes is to realize that the texture will be different once you freeze them. But if you notice, most fries that you buy are frozen (even Wendy's, McD's, etc use frozen fries). So the texture change works in your favor for french fries (it doesn't work as well for mashed potatoes). Here's how you can do it at home...saving money and calories in the process! Pair this recipe with the Easy Pleasing Meatloaf (2008 post) or Home-Grilled Hamburgers made with my Hamburger Patties Recipe (2008 post) and Italian Rolls (I'll post this next) for Hamburger Buns, and you're in for a treat.

Freezer French Fries

Ingredients
Potatoes (Any kind will work. Try different varieties and see which type your family likes best.)
Oil (Canola, Vegetable, or Olive all work great...it just depends on your preference)
Salt and seasonings (Johnny's Seasoning Salt, Mrs Dash, Kosher Salt, Garlic Salt are all fun to try)
Ziploc Freezer Bags

Label Bag with date, "French Fries: Bake at 425F for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through." Peel potatoes, if desired. Slice your potatoes into desired size. We like to make "steak fries" by slicing them about 1 inch wide, 1/4 inch deep, and 4-5 inches long. You can make them any size you like. Put sliced potatoes into ziploc bags, in a family-sized portion. These fries (like all fries) do not reheat well, so cook enough for one sitting at a time. Add oil to the bag. You'll want to add enough oil so that the potatoes are coated with oil, but not so much that there's more oil than potatoes. This is the oil that your fries will be "frying" in while they're in the oven. I'd estimate that for a gallon-sized bag of fries, I add about 1 cup of oil. Zip up the bag and shake, so all fries are coated with oil. Then open the bag and add seasoning to taste. Place immediately in the freezer. Best to lay flat to freeze, so you can put it right onto your baking sheet when you're ready.

Baking Directions:
No need to thaw. Preheat oven to 425. Remove ziploc from freezer, remove frozen contents from bag and place directly on rimmed baking sheet (we use stoneware) or casserole dish. Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes, or until crispy on the outside and flaky in the middle, turning fries over mid-way through baking.