Roasted Potato Wedges with Red Ranch Dressing

A few weeks ago I was curled up on the couch watching Down with the Neelys (don't you love them? I can't get enough of their sweet relationship). They were grilling up all kinds of things in the kitchen, but it was the potato wedges that caught my eye.

I've already made these about five times since then. They're currently my favorite version of french fries. I like that they're fat- I'm not a fan of thin, skinny fries. Call me a weirdo, what can I say. But what really makes them so unbelieveably good and delicious I want to eat them all day everyday is this dripping sauce.

It's not related to the Down with the Neelys episode. I found this baby in a Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine (a note to all who knock her, this is good, try it!!). I made it for the fam on their first night here and it was gone in two seconds flat. Okay, maybe not that quick, but it had certainly disappeared before I was even done with my corn on the cob.

For the Potato Wedges
Source: loosely adapted from Down Home with the Neelys

4 russet potatoes, scrubbed well
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a rimmed sheet tray into the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

Slice each potato into 6 wedges. Add the potato wedges to a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the potatoes are barely tender, but a knife can be pushed through with just a slight resistance, about 6 minutes. Drain potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and toss with paprika, salt, and pepper.

Carefully remove the hot sheet tray from the oven and quickly add the seasoned potatoes to them. You want the pan to stay as hot as possible. This will help to crisp up the potatoes while they roast. Place the sheet pan back into the oven and roast until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through the cooking time.

Cook's Note: Be careful not to overcook the potatoes when boiling. You don't want them to fall apart when you roast them. Heating your sheet tray in the oven will promote crispness in your potatoes wedges. The potatoes start sizzling and crisping up as soon as they hit the hot pan.

For the Ranch Dressing
Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup organic or low-sodium ketchup
1 large clove garlic, grated or pasted
3 -4 tbsp, finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as chives and parsley
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and coarse black pepper
Hot sauce, to taste (omitted)

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup each buttermilk and sour cream, the ketchup and garlic, herbs, and lemon juice; season with salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.

What's your favorite cooking show? I watch Giada, Rachael, Emeril, and the Neelys.