Baked Spicy Fries with Garlic Cheese Sauce

• medium Idaho potatoes for baking↗7
• egg whites↗2
• chili powder↗1 tablespoon
• seasoning salt↗1 tablespoon
• smoked sweet paprika↗1.5 teaspoon
• cayenne pepper↗0.5 teaspoon
• coarse sea salt to taste
• light cream cheese2 ounce
• a splash of milk
• minced fresh garlic1 teaspoon
• seasoning salt↗0.5 teaspoon
• butter↗1 teaspoon
• high-quality grated cheese of choice (I used a spicy white French cheese… honestly, I don’t remember the name! oops.)↗1 ounce

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 430 °F.

2. 2

   Wash and dry the potatoes. Cut them into strips the size of fries – about 3/4 inch wide. Pour the egg whites over the sticks, add seasonings and toss.

3. 3

   Place a large sheet of parchment paper on each baking sheet (I used 2 sheets). Lay the potatoes on the parchment. Do not pour the entire bowl, as some whites will remain at the bottom and should not end up on the sheet. Bake 10 minutes, remove the sheet and discard the parchment, and let the sticks slide directly onto the sheet. They should slide off easily. Bake another 5‑8 minutes; remove from oven and toss, carefully preserving the shape of the sticks. Continue (bake, toss, bake, toss) until the sticks develop a fluffy golden‑brown crust, dry to the touch. They should be slightly crisp outside but soft inside. Total baking time will be about 25‑35 minutes.

4. 4

   For the cheese sauce, melt the cream cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Add milk, garlic, salt for seasoning and oil until smooth. When the mixture becomes smooth, add the grated cheese. Melt for another 20‑30 seconds and whisk again until completely smooth, adding more milk to thin the sauce to desired consistency. Drizzle the sauce over the sticks and enjoy!