Cheese Fries
intro
Crispy golden baked fries smothered in smooth cheddar sauce, smoky bacon, and bright scallions—an indulgent, shareable comfort food perfect for casual group gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and season potatoes
Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Cut scrubbed russet potatoes into uniform 1cm-thick sticks, then toss with 30ml vegetable oil, 6g (1 teaspoon) kosher salt, and 1.5g (1/2 teaspoon) garlic powder until evenly coated. Spread the fries in a single, unstacked layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to ensure even crisping.
Bake fries until crispy
Place the baking sheet of seasoned fries in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes total, flipping each fry carefully with a spatula at the 12-minute halfway mark. Cook until fries have deep golden, crunchy edges and light, fluffy soft interiors.
Cook and crumble bacon
While the fries bake, place 4 bacon slices in a cold skillet set over medium heat. Cook for 8–10 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until fat is fully rendered and bacon is evenly crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then crumble into small bits once cool enough to handle.
Make smooth cheese sauce
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 28g unsalted butter, then whisk in 8g all-purpose flour to form a smooth roux, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Slowly whisk in warmed 120ml whole milk, stirring constantly for 2 minutes until the base thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from heat, stir in 180g of the shredded cheddar, remaining 1.5g (1/2 teaspoon) garlic powder, smoked paprika, 3g (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt, and black pepper, stirring until completely smooth and glossy.
Assemble and melt cheese
Once fries finish baking, transfer them to a large oven-safe serving platter in a loose, even pile. Drizzle 3/4 of the warm cheese sauce evenly over the fries, then sprinkle the remaining 40g shredded cheddar over top. Place the platter back in the 220°C oven for 2 minutes, until the top layer of cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
Add final toppings
Remove the cheesy fries from the oven, top evenly with crumbled crispy bacon, sliced scallions, and the remaining reserved cheese sauce. Sprinkle with a tiny pinch of kosher salt to taste, and serve immediately while the cheese is hot and stretchy.
Tips
2.Avoid overcrowding the baking sheet when cooking fries. If potato sticks are stacked or tightly packed, they will steam instead of crisping, leading to soggy fries. Use two baking sheets if you need more space.
3.Warm your milk slightly before adding it to the hot roux; cold milk will shock the cooked flour-butter mixture, creating lumps and a grainy, uneven cheese sauce texture.
OMG these are SO good! Made them for my son’s post-soccer team snack yesterday and every single kid cleared their plate, even the picky ones! I added extra crumbled bacon and a dollop of sour cream on top, total game changer. Will 100% be making these for our next family movie night.
Bro this recipe saved my late night study session. Super easy even for someone who burns toast half the time, only took like 35 mins total like the recipe said, and the cheese pull was insane. My roommates are already begging me to make it again this weekend.
Really solid recipe! The fries came out perfectly crispy, which I always struggle with. I knocked a star off because I felt like the cheese ratio was a little low for my taste, but I just added an extra handful of shredded cheddar and it was perfect. Brought these to our neighborhood potluck and they were gone in 10 minutes flat.
Meal prepped a big batch of these for the week and they held up way better than I thought they would! I kept the cheese sauce separate to heat up when I was ready to eat, and the fries stayed crispy even after reheating in the air fryer for a couple minutes. Total weeknight win when I don’t have time to cook after work.
I swapped regular cheddar for a mix of pepper jack and smoked gouda and OH MY GOD. The smoky, slightly spicy cheese with the crispy fries? I think I ate half the pan in one sitting. No regrets.
Taste was great, but my fries came out a little soggier than I expected. Maybe I cut them too thick? I’ll try cutting them thinner next time and making sure they’re totally dry like the recipe says, I think I rushed that step.
Made these for our office potluck today and I’m pretty sure my coworkers are going to demand I bring them every single week. The crispy fry trick with the cornstarch? *Chef’s kiss* I topped mine with green onions, pickled jalapeños, and crumbled cotija for a little Tex-Mex twist and people were going back for seconds and thirds.
Game. Changer. I’ve been making frozen loaded fries for years and they never come out this good. The fresh potato fry method is so worth the extra 10 minutes of prep, no weird frozen aftertaste, and the crunch is next level. My wife said these taste better than the ones we get at our local sports bar.
My kids went crazy for these! I’ve been trying to find easy side dishes for weeknight dinners that don’t require a million ingredients, and this fits the bill perfectly. Even my super picky 7 year old who refuses to eat potatoes ate two whole servings. 10/10, adding this to our regular rotation.
Really good base recipe! I added some chili on top to make chili cheese fries and it slapped. Only thing I’d note is that if you use pre-shredded cheese, it doesn’t melt as smooth as shredding your own block cheese, but that’s a me problem for being lazy. Still turned out great.
Just pulled these out of the oven and WOW. I was worried they’d be too much work for a weeknight but it was so straightforward. The outside is so crunchy and the inside is fluffy, exactly how I want my fries. Topped mine with bacon bits and ranch, no notes.
Made these for my D&D game night over the weekend and the whole table lost their minds. We had a barbarian in the group who ate almost a third of the pan by himself, no joke. The crisp level held up even after we let them sit out for a couple hours during the session, which I was shocked by.
Added a drizzle of hot honey on top of mine and y’all. The sweet and spicy combo with the salty cheese and crispy fries? I’m never making fries any other way. My roommate thought I ordered takeout until she saw me pulling the baking sheet out of the oven lmao.
Made these for my grandkids when they visited over the weekend and they asked for seconds before they even finished their first serving. Easy enough for an old guy like me to follow, no fancy equipment needed. The instructions were super clear, even for someone who doesn’t cook much these days.
Tried making these in the air fryer instead of the oven and they came out great! Took a couple minutes less cook time than the oven method, but the crisp was perfect. I wish the recipe had air fryer instructions listed, but it was easy enough to figure out on my own. Still giving 4 stars because it was delicious regardless.
Tested these out ahead of our first college football tailgate next weekend and they’re gonna be a hit. I made a big batch, topped them with pulled pork, cheese, and pickles, and they tasted exactly like the loaded fries they sell at the stadium, but way cheaper. Can’t wait to serve these to the whole crew.
I made these for brunch today alongside some scrambled eggs and crispy bacon, and it was the most satisfying weekend breakfast I’ve had in months. Who said fries are only for lunch and dinner? The salty crispy fries with melted cheese go perfectly with eggs, 10/10.