I’ve always loved a good hamburger and french fries. We had that meal often when I was growing up. It was quick and easy on Granny and everyone liked it.
After I was married I continued to make the meal often.
In the early days of marriage I did like Granny does and deep fried my french fries. Also like she did, I saved the oil and reused it a few times. I made french fries like that for many many years.
About five years ago I got an air fryer for Christmas and I began using it to make the fries in. They weren’t quite as crispy, but still good enough that we all liked them.
The only thing I didn’t like was having to pull out the air fryer. I didn’t have room on my counter so it was stored behind the buffet.
I guess I finally got tired of moving it because I started dicing up my potatoes, tossing lightly with olive oil and roasting. That’s my go to way to make the “french fries” we eat with our hamburgers these days.
I do sort of miss the long slender fries I used to make but somehow I just keep making the roasted ones.
I roast my diced potatoes at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes or till golden brown around the edges. I only use salt to season them, but lots of other seasonings would work well.
Granny is still making the french fries she made when I was a girl and she still uses the same big pot.
Last night’s video: Battery Chainsaws, Porch Cleaning & Squirrel Wolves in Appalachia.
Tipper, how do you make your hamburgers… grill or stovetop? Always interesting to see the different variations on the basics.
We used to live not far from Minneapolis, origin of the original Jucy Lucy stuffed burger. Whenever we want a taste of home that’s what we make.
There’s a spice mix called za’atar, from the Middle East (Lebanon and Syria area) that is exceptional on roasted potatoes. I get mine from The Spice House. Za’atar is characterized by sumac, sesame seeds and thyme. It can have other herbs and spices (mainly oregano) but those three are what makes it za’atar.
For fries I use a DeLongi rotating fryer. The basket rotates the fries (or whatever) in and out of the olive oil. Best potatoes ever. I sometimes use the air fryer but always go back to the rotating fryer! It’s my preference.
I’m making these potatoes this week with our hamburgers!
I love oven roasted potatoes like that and make them often. Sometimes I’ll use melted bacon grease with them, sometimes plain oil. Salt and pepper or some garlic powder or Cajun seasoning. Other times I’ll slice some onions and green chiles. It is all good eating!
I think ‘air fryer’ is a term made up by a bunch of advertising men/women. It is nothing more than a convection oven in a small footprint, smaller so it won’t cook as much. They even made the pot-like appearance to make buyers forget ovens. If you have a toaster/convection oven, you have an air fryer. If you have an electric oven that can also be run as a convection oven, you don’t need an ‘air fryer.’
We have a convection oven in our electric range; but for just the 2 of us, it wastes energy. We have a countertop air fryer and it gets used 2 or 3 times a day.
I’ll have to try your roasted potatoes. I haven’t done them by themselves but have put them in the roaster with a hen, a ham, or a leg of lamb.
Thanks, Tipper!!!
I’ve always loved potatoes! Now I mostly eat then baked just because that is the easiest way. I’ve eaten your roasted potatoes and they are quite tasty! The thing is, I have always loved Irish potatoes and I’ll take them any I can get them!
I love fried potatoes any way you fix them, but I also love roasted potatoes. I also made your cheesy oven fries last week. They are delicious and so easy to fix. Sometimes I just want french fries dipped in mayo and yes, Duke’s, LOL. Fries dipped in ranch dressing is also good to me. Sometimes I will cut sweet potatoes into fries and roast them in the oven, so good!! I have been thinking about getting an air fryer but like some said, no place to sit it on the counter. I’ve seen some new stoves that air fry, but the prices are like everything else, through the roof. I’ll just probably keep doing what I am doing. Have a blessed day everyone!!
A really good hamburger or cheeseburger is one of my favorite meals. The perfect side is French fries. I’ve never met a potato that I didn’t like. I guess it’s the Irish heritage in me! Roasted potatoes made the way you mentioned are really good. We usually add some onion to the potatoes and olive oil.
I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like fried potatoes. I try to cut them sort of round like my Mother did but I can never seem to do as good a job as Mother. She made the best fried potatoes. My son gave me an Air Fryer for Christmas a couple years ago – its an air fryer – oven – and toaster too. It works really well and recently my bottom element in my stove went out, even though I can use the top of the stove it is nice to have the air fryer – oven to use. In this case, when it takes time it seems to get anything fixed, I’m o.k., because I have the air fryer – oven.
Your video shows the beautiful fall colors showing up in your trees. So beautiful!
When I heard Matt tell about the Squirrel Wolves, I knew exactly what he was talking about. I didn’t know that a frost would kill them though. My Daddy hunted squirrels so I knew about the larvae and after watching veterinarian shows I have seen vets pull the larvae out of a lot of animals. My Daddy called them Wolves too, I guess that is why the word stuck in my memory. Good to know the larvae dies with a frost cause fried squirrel is delicious!!
Dee, these wolves will also get in or on rabbits. If there had not been much cold weather by Thanksgiving (opening of the season in SC) we would be sure to carefully check the rabbits but I don’t remember worrying so much about squirrels even though the season use to open in Sept. but now I think it opens in Oct.
I’ve fried in oven, fried in AirFryer and I’ve baked them in oven. It just depends on how long my other foods will take to cook up on which method I use to make the potatoes. My hubby likes them deep fried best, but I stopped using my deep fryer years back, so he’s learned to be content with however I fix them now.
I don’t have an air fryer but love roasted vegs. I grow a lot of butternut squash and if I don’t roast them cubed I like to roast them in “fingers” and love them like french fries.
We truly enjoy our roasted cabbage and potatoes. Delicious!
I just finished reading a story a teacher wrote in the 40s about how she liked to spend the night with a local family because they had potatoes and gravy for breakfast. Mom fried taters and made gravy for breakfast many times. That’s the way I still like to eat taters even if I have to go get the chicken strip basket that comes with fries and gravy at Dairy Queen. I seldom ever eat fries since I quit eating hamburger many years ago. With the rising cost of taters at the store, it’s a good thing my garden produced enough to get me through the coming months of soup weather.
Thank you again, Miss Tipper. I turned to roasted taters a couple of decades back. They’re now the “chips” part of our Friday evening fish and chips. The buggers are easier than doing the whole French-fry thing, and that also includes clean up afterwards. Yum! Also, I enjoyed your linked vlog, and it also made me giggle. About your dear friend with the great memory. My bestie frequently spoke aloud to me of admiring about me having a great memory. And one day she commented I have a mind like a steel trap. I then made the joke to her, “You mean I’m rusty and illegal in 38 states?…?”
I also love fried potatoes especially French fries and hash browns. My wife would cut potatoes off in round slices and fry them. Since her death, me and my boys have been roasting or baking our potatoes. I will try Tipper’s method and I have also been intending to try Granny’s potato chips. We also have an air fryer but getting it out to use is a lot of trouble. Is anyone else like me? It is almost mandatory that I have ketchup to put on my fried potatoes.
Tipper, we are expecting frost for the next several mornings. It looks like you may get a freeze. Boy, my fresh sausage, grits, eggs biscuits and coffee seems to taste better on those frosty mornings.
We have a combination microwave/air fryer. You don’t need to pull out anything – just push the correct buttons.
We have a toaster oven that has an air fryer setting. I hardly ever use the oven anymore.
Also, reheats chicken fried chicken, and anything else previously deep fried (eating out leftovers) very well.
I like the sound of this. I don’t care for store-bought frozen somehow. We have tried all kinds and they always are just OK. Sometimes I want the onion and pepper O’Brien potatoes and sometimes just the plain crispy. But by the time a bag is gone I don’t want another for a spell.
About French fries, I wish I knew of a good spice mix and how to make it stick on individual potatoes. I’m convinced there is a lot of opportunity there for different kinds of extraordinary “fries”. I would like smoky-hot and herbal for starters. Do you have any spices other than salt and pepper that you use?
Ron-we use a lot of garlic and oregano but overall we’re pretty bland when it comes to spices 🙂
I have less counter space than you do, but I made the crazy decision to use some of it for an air fryer/toaster oven. My son talked me into getting one. It has made cooking easier in a lot of ways. (Clean-up is harder though). It’s also great for heating leftovers, I always have leftovers. This thing can be used for baking, roasting, frying, pizza and all sorts of things.
The way I see it, ANY way is a great way to prepare potatoes! You’ll find me several days a week hunkered around a pan of fried taters and onions with a burger and maybe green beans. I’ve purchased air fryers for others, but as for me I’m not into it. Maybe some day but not now. Did you know you need a TEASPOON of grease with a meal? It’s the grease that insulates your nerves and helps with shiny hair and nails as well as keeps you healthy? It’s essential in digestion as well. By all means it’s great to be healthy, but vegans are usually quite sick after a few years. Like Monk, you can thank me later. Lol
Sadie, I once knew of an old doctor that seemed to prescribe a spoonful of crisco oil for about any aliment you may have. I only went to him once, he put me on some blood pressure tablets that kept me dehydrated from sweating, instead of changing the medicine he told me to take a spoonful of oil along with the medicine. I changed doctors and medicine. Maybe he was on to something, he was in his mid 90’s when he died. I had a high school teacher that would take a spoonful of vinegar each morning at the beginning of her 1st period class. She also lived to be in her 90’s. We thought it was for helping her to be grouchy!
I have an air fryer as well, but due to my husband’s heart issues and his vegan diet being as close to zero fat as possible, using it to cook is kinda out. I do use it to cook some things for me occasionally. What I don’t use and I should use it more often is my Instant Pot. Maybe I’ll use it tonight and the air fryer as well for me!
French fries are the best, but I confess I too have switched to roasting I also add veggies to 1/2 the pan. so much easier
My favorite potatoes are diced and fried with onions, the kind you typically eat for breakfast. But anymore, instead of frying them on the stove, I roast them in the oven. I still slice potatoes long like French fries, but roast those in the oven, too. To me, roasting is easier and lazier. I don’t have to constantly stand over them as they cook, and the clean up afterwards is a breeze. I bought an air fryer about 4 years ago, and I am ashamed to admit – I haven’t even taken it out of the box yet. It is so much easier to roast something than to dig the air fryer out of the pantry! Thank you for reminding me – I can give that air fryer as a Christmas gift, or a wedding gift, to someone!
Donna. : )