Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I have been so excited to cook out of Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics. Not only are the photos absolutely stunning, but every single recipe in the entire cookbook sounds amazingly good. I was looking for something to go with these turkey burgers, and sweet potato fries sounded like the perfect accompaniment. Turkey and sweet potatoes, in May! It's a party on a plate.

Flavor-wise, these were absolutely amazing, with a nice balance of sweet and savory. Both of the men in my life (Joe and Andrew) are sweet potato guys, and neither of them could get enough of these. I liked them, too, but the problem I had is that they just weren't crispy enough. I even cooked them about 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for, and they still weren't crispy. They were definitely flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, but I wish they would have had more crunch.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Source: Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics by Ina Garten

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half into spears. Place them on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil. Spread the potatoes in one layer. Combine the brown sugar, salt and pepper and sprinkle on the potatoes.

3. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn with a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot.