6-8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (Russets are fine, too)
2 tbsp. Kosher salt
cold water (enough to cover potatoes)
canola oil or olive oil, to taste (or other high smoke point oil - enough for 1/4-inch deep in the frying pan)
1-2 packets HIDDEN VALLEY® dry Ranch dressing mix
2 cups dairy sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped green onion
large stainless, non-stick, or cast-iron frying pan

Cut potatoes. You can wash them and leave the skins on or peel them... your preference. They're good either way. Cut into wedges, slices or fries, but keep in mind that cooking time will be reduced with thinner pieces. I like small wedge pieces.

Rinse cut potatoes, then cover them with water containing dissolved Kosher salt. Let them soak for an hour. They can soak longer if you don't pull them out at an hour... it's not a big issue.

Mix Ranch dip mix with dairy sour cream according to the directions on package. Leave some dry mix in reserve if you think you might like a little extra kick to sprinkle on at the end.

Drain off salt water and rinse potatoes again. Pat them as dry as possible with towels or paper towels until most of the surface moisture is gone. At this point, you can lay them out on a tray and let them further air-dry or I like to spread them out on plates and put them in the microwave for a minute... stir them and repeat at one minute. This cooks them a little bit and removes more of the moisture.

Heat oil on medium high heat. Lay out the potato pieces evenly in the oil (oil should be about half-way up the depth of the potatoes) and cover, cooking for 15 minutes.

At this point, they should be getting very nicely crisp and brown on one side. Turn them and cover again for 10 minutes. (These times will vary depending on how cut your potatoes and how brown you want them to be... so keep an eye on them and use your judgement).

Drain off most of the oil and add enough of the Ranch dip to coat the potatoes well, gently mix it in and continue to cook, uncovered, until the coating is bubbling. If you like, sprinkle in some of the dry Ranch mix, but it doesn't take more than a few pinches to really spike the flavor. It's easy to over-do it, so experiment with what you like.

Toss in chopped green onion. I like a lot of it, because it really adds that extra layer of flavor and texture.

Serve immediately. Serve the extra prepared Ranch dip for others to add if they like.

Submitted by: Gayle Karafil