Hot, fresh, baked spicy fries are going to come out of your oven tonight. They just are. And I’m putting you under citizen’s arrest if you don’t cover your face in garlic cheese sauce.
Did I say face? I meant fries. Fries, face, maybe both.
As you can see from my extreme close-up photos, I’m having trouble keeping my face away from these little guys.
Here’s the deal, you guys. I LOVE FRENCH FRIES. I would go so far as to say that French fries are currently my number one restaurant food. Which is saying a lot because I go to a lot (probably too many) restaurants and I eat a lot of (probably too much) delicious food.
When we go out to eat, there are three possible French fry scenarios.
- I order an innapropriately large platter of fries (waffle, please) and the waitress asks would I like some seasoned sour cream? And yes I would. YES. I. WOULD.
- I restrain myself from ordering fries which causes me to get the shakes and break out in a cold sweat, so I eat all of my husband’s fries instead.
- I don’t order fries, and my husband doesn’t order fries, and we have to stop at McDonald’s on the way home. Regrettable.
When doing fries at home, I’ve always relied heavily on the frozen fries in a bag (Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, anyone?). Then I realized that those frozen fries in a bag are supposed to serve 8 people, not 2. Thanks a lot, frozen fries in a bag. Thanks a lot.
So for the last few weeks, I have been testing homemade French fry recipes like crazy. Sampling all those fries and all…. well, let’s be real. It was pretty strenuous. But all that sacrificial work has come to a close now that I’ve found my all-time best and favorite French fry recipe.
These fries are spicy, but not actually spicy, just loaded with salty flavor. They’re crispy, but not too crispy, just golden brown and soft on the inside. They’re healthy, but not too healthy, just baked so you can eat a few extras. YUMYUMYUM!
And the garlic cheese sauce? Seriously. No explanation needed. YUM.
Baked Spicy Fries with Garlic Cheese Sauce
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
These baked spicy fries use egg whites to get the fries crispy and golden on the outside. Topped with a lighter garlic cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- 7–8 medium Idaho baking potatoes
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- coarse sea salt to taste
- 2 ounces light cream cheese
- a splash of milk
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 ounce good quality shredded cheese of choice (I used a sharp white French cheese… honestly I can’t remember the name! woops.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 430.
- Wash and dry the potatoes. Cut them into french-fry sized strips – about 3/4 inches wide. Pour egg whites over fries, pour seasonings over fries, and stir to combine.
- Place a large sheet of parchment paper over each baking sheet (I used 2 baking sheets). Scoop the potatoes onto the parchment paper. Do not dump the whole bowl out because there will be some leftover egg whites in the bottom of the bowl and you don’t want that on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, take the baking sheets out and remove the parchment paper and slide the fries directly onto the baking sheet. They should slide off easily. Bake for another 5-8 minutes; remove from oven and stir, being careful to keep the shape of the fries. Continue this (bake, stir, bake, stir) until the fries have a puffy golden brown outside that is dry to the touch. They should be a little crispy but soft on the inside. Total bake time will be about 25-35 minutes.
- For the cheese sauce, melt the cream cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk, garlic, seasoning salt, and oil until smooth. When smooth, add the cheese. Melt for another 20-30 seconds and whisk again until totally smooth, adding more milk to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency. Pour over fries and enjoy!
Notes
I used a microwave for the sauce because I was short on time, but you could also use a regular saucepan on a stovetop.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: french fries, baked fries, garlic cheese, spicy fries
PS. Remember when they were called Freedom fries?
PSS. Garlic Cheese Sauce loves you.