Name: Oven-Baked French Fries
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese; 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika; salt and pepper; 16 ounces frozen crinkle cut French-fried potatoes

Why it works: Parmesan cheese and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,322 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Oven-Baked French Fries

Oven450°F

Time13 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper
16 ounces frozen crinkle cut French-fried potatoes

Directions

Prepare

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Combine cheese, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste.
Place potatoes in a medium bowl coated with cooking spray.
Sprinkle potatoes with cheese mixture, tossing well.

Bake and serve

Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 450°F for 13 minutes or until tender.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

277Calories

14 gProtein

8 gFat

39 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Potato	1 medium (173g) baked	161
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Parmesan cheese + peppertop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,322 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Parmesan cheese + fried potatotop 56% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together0 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).
Pepper + fried potatotop 79% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together0 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Frozen crinkle cut french-fried potatoes: Form the main body of the dish, becoming tender and crisp-edged as they bake.
Parmesan cheese: Adds savory flavor and helps the coating brown and stick to the potatoes.
Paprika: Adds color and a mild, sweet smoky aroma to the coating.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.