How well a restaurant makes French fries will absolutely be a deciding factor in whether we visit there again. Floppy fries, fries crunchy the whole way through, or under-salted and bland fries earn an automatic no vote the next time..

Thankfully, this isn’t a problem at home since I’ve perfected making delicious, crispy homemade fries the past couple of years. The method is simple and only calls for basic ingredients and no special equipment.

(Though I will say that having a large quality baking sheet is really helpful. I LOVE my extra-large corrugated baking sheets from William-Sonoma. They are seriously big and hold enough fries for our family of seven).

Perfect Crispy Homemade Fries

The fact that I can make a large amount of really good fries with minimal prep and no oil or fryer is huge. There’s not a big mess to clean up or oil to cool and put away. Preparing the fries is as easy as slicing and seasoning potatoes. And I just need to stir them once– after about twenty minutes.

It’s easy enough that I’ve been making these fries regularly recently, and will continue to all summer to enjoy with smash burgers, grilled hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and so on.

Making crispy fries at home isn’t very complicated, but there are a few important guidelines to follow:

• Cut the fries to be as close to uniform in size as possible. This ensures even cooking time for all the fries, keeping some from being undercooked or too crispy.
• You can only make as many fries as will fit in a flat layer on your baking sheet. All the fries should be in direct contact with the pan so they will achieve the crispy exterior that makes them so good.
• Wait to salt the fries until they have finished cooking. Salt draws moisture out of the potatoes, which can keep them from crisping up during the cooking process. Salt the fries while they are still hot when they are done cooking.
• Preheat the pan with your fat (I recommend ghee). Placing the fries on a hot, greased pan helps to keep them from sticking to the pan and tearing.
• Related to above, it’s essential to wait to stir the fries until they develop a crust (crispy layer). This allows them to release from the pan when it’s time to stir/flip the fries. It usually takes about twenty minutes, but you can check one or two first to see if they’re ready.

(This method also works well for cubed potatoes, like the picture above).

Recipes that go well with perfectly crispy homemade fries:

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• Victorinox Chef Knife :: my favorite knife I’ve used for over a decade
• Titan Peeler :: the BEST peeler
• Ghee :: clarified butter is amazing for roasting and sautéing since it can be used at higher heat

Crispy Homemade Fries

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• Author: Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 5–6 servings 1x
• Method: Roasting

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Description

Perfectly crispy homemade fries– soft and tender on the inside and crisp and salty on the outside! These fries are easy, minimal prep and oven roasted!

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Ingredients

• 3–5 large Russet potatoes, washed and peeled
• 2–3 tablespoons ghee
• granulated garlic
• paprika
• kosher salt for finishing

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Drop 2-3 rounded tablespoons of ghee on a large rimmed baking sheet. Place the sheet in the oven to heat and melt the ghee.
2. Slice the potatoes into thin fries, taking care to make sure the fries are all close in size. (About 3/8″ wide is ideal). 
3. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and tilt it so the ghee coats the entire pan. Carefully lay the fries out on the pan in a flat, even layer– they should all be touching the pan and not be overcrowded. Season the fries with the granulated garlic and paprika. (No salt yet). 
4. Place the pan of fries in the oven and let them roast for about 20 minutes without stirring, until the bottoms of the fries have developed a crisp layer. Once the bottoms are crispy, remove the pan from the oven to toss/flip the fries so the crispy layer is now on top. Return the pan to the oven and finish roasting the fries for another 10-15 minutes, according to your desired doneness. 
5. Generously season the fries with kosher salt once you have removed them from the oven while the fries are still hot. 

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The post Crispy Homemade Fries appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.

Carrot cake was destined to be an inevitable family favorite since we made it our wedding cake almost nineteen years ago. Since then, we’ve had all kinds of versions of this cake, from store-bought, bakery fresh, or made at home.

While I can’t say that I’ve ever regretted a slice of carrot cake, I will say that more often than not the cakes we’ve purchased have been sweeter than we prefer, occasionally cloyingly so.

Our preference for most desserts these days is homemade with either less sugar or natural sweeteners, which really allows the flavors and ingredients to shine. (My personal preference is also quick and easy, though I do make exceptions for special occasions).

Simple Homemade Carrot Cake

I’ve been working on this recipe for a few years, first testing a version of it as an Instant Pot version. (I still very much love my Instant Pot, but don’t feel compelled to try and make everything in it as much these days).

This past week we celebrated my youngest son’s tenth birthday and his request was a homemade carrot cake. This gave me the perfect opportunity to do some final tests and tweaks before publishing our beloved cake recipe.

The cake was perfection and I’m very excited to finally share it with you all!

naturally sweetened, dairy-free, gluten-free

As mentioned before, this cake is not overpoweringly sweet. (If you like really sweet cakes, this version is great). The batter is sweetened with honey, with applesauce is the perfect complement in lieu of butter or oil.

The batter is dairy-free, but if you need a full dairy-free cake, you can sub a DF icing or cream cheese in the recipe. Likewise, a simple sub of 1:1 gluten-free flour will make the cake GF. I really like King Arthur 1:1 GF flour as well as Bob’s Red Mill GF flour.

The cake can be prepared as a 2-layer or 4-layer cake (see recipe note). I also love the look of unfrosted sides to this cake, so that’s how I wrote it and shot it. If you’d like to frost the sides, you may want to increase the frosting by 1.5.

Give this recipe a try, then come back and let me know how you enjoyed it! And, if easy, healthy-ish (such a subjective word) recipes are your thing, check out my recipe index!

More EASY + DELICIOUS desserts to try:

Simple Homemade Carrot Cake

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• Author: Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life

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Description

Homemade carrot cake is our family’s favorite and this recipe is so simple to make in just one bowl with healthy ingredients, making it easily naturally sweetened, dairy-free, and/or gluten-free! 

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Ingredients

Cake

• 2 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup honey
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

Icing

• 16oz cream cheese (room temperature)
• 3–4 cups powdered sugar (add to taste)
• 1 cup chopped pecans

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir until well-incorporated, then add the grated carrots and stir again. Mix together the applesauce, honey, eggs, and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently incorporate until no streaks of flour remain.
4. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Add a parchment circle to the bottom of the pan for easier cake removal. Divide the cake batter between the two cake pans.
5. Place the cake pans in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, until the center of the cakes are cooked through.
6. Cool the cakes in the pan for 5-10 minutes, before removing from the pans and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. (Optional) Use a large bread knife to cut the cakes in half to make 4 layers– carefully slice around the cake gradually going all the way through to the center.
8. Prepare the icing: combine the sugar and cream cheese in a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and mix together on medium speed until blended and light. Add the chopped pecans and mix on low until the nuts are evenly incorporated.
9. Spread the icing on the cake layers, leaving the sides unfrosted. Top with additional finely chopped pecans if desired.
10. Serve immediately, or place in the refrigerator to chill before enjoying.

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Notes

You can make your own powdered sugar by blending granulated sugar in a blender on high until white and powdered.

To make the cake gluten-free, sub a 1:1 gluten-free flour (I like King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill GF all-purpose flour).

To make the cake dairy-free, sub a dairy-free icing or cream cheese.

Don’t forget to pin and share this homemade carrot cake! Thanks!

The post Simple Homemade Carrot Cake appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.

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Meatballs and marinara has been one of my favorite meals for years, but this homemade ragu sauce over fresh pasta has easily taken its place as a go-to meal when I want something classic, cozy, and utterly delicious.

It doesn’t hurt that my kids proclaim it as “BEST PASTA EVER” whenever I serve this dish, usually alongside garlic knots, one-hour focaccia, or soft warm French bread.

Summer is a great time to enjoy homemade ragu sauce, too, because of the abundance of fresh tomatoes and peppers that taste better now than any other time of the year. (Though, canning tomatoes is a great option to enjoy a hint of summer taste later on when they aren’t growing fresh.)

Keep reading for the recipe and some tips and recommendations for sauce, pasta, and summer produce– a serious trifecta of goodness!

Homemade Ragu Sauce

While I still love meatballs, I really enjoy the simplicity and ease of homemade ragu sauce, especially when paired with a great marinara. Everything cooks together in one large pot, and once you get it going, it’s just a matter of letting it simmer for a while to develop the flavor.

Not to mention, it makes your home smell amazing!

The mix of ground beef and Italian sausage add a lot of depth to the sauce, so I absolutely recommend using both! (My boys very much appreciate the meatiness of this homemade ragu, too).

My first choice for the marinara I add is always homemade. I am a bit obsessed with homemade marinara sauce and always say I could drink it with a straw– even if I’ve yet to do so. I use the recipe from my Instant Pot cookbook for big batch marinara. The recipe makes enough for a batch of ragu and to have sauce leftover.

If I’m not using homemade marinara, my first pick for jarred sauce is Rao’s. It’s really good, and Costco now carries it too!

Likewise, my first choice for pasta to pair with homemade ragu is fresh, homemade pasta. There’s nothing quite like the silky, tender, deliciousness of fresh pasta noodles. If you’ve never tried making pasta at home, you should totally give it a try at least once!

That said, fresh pasta doesn’t always fit into the schedule so I always keep convenient package pasta on hand. A bag of spiral pasta is what I paired my last batch of homemade ragu with.

MORE LIKE THIS ::

Classic Homemade Ragu Sauce

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• Author: Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

This rich, homemade ragu sauce is full of flavor, filling meat and veggies, and incredibly delicious served over pasta. This recipe is a great way to make jarred or homemade marinara sauces so much better!

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Ingredients

• 1–1.25lb ground beef
• 2–3 sweet Italian sausage links
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups marinara sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried basil
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano

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Instructions

1. Heat a large dutch oven or similar style pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and sausage to the pot and brown until the meat is no longer pink, using a spoon or spatula to break up the meat as it cooks. Drain any grease from the pot. 

2. Push the browned meat to the edge, then add the onion, peppers, and garlic to the center of the pot. Flatten the vegetables down, then let them cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Once the vegetables are beginning to soften, stir them together into the meat mixture. Add the herbs and kosher salt and stir again. 

3. Pour in the marinara sauce and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Bring the sauce to a low boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low/low and let the ragu simmer for at least thirty minutes. (You can simmer it longer, just keep the heat low so the sauce does not reduce too much). 

4. Taste and add extra salt or herbs to your preference. Serve over pasta, potatoes, or polenta. Top with fresh basil and/or grated parmesan. 

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The post Homemade Ragu Sauce appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.