How many cheese fries are too many? The limit does not exist! This installment of Dinner and a Movie is serving up Cheese Fries from Mean Girls, one of the defining films of the millennial generation. Make your frozen french fries in the air fryer and whip up a fresh and flavorful cheese sauce on the stovetop – that’s all there is to it! When you douse your crispy air fryer fries in all that cheesy goodness you’ll be saying, without a doubt, “these fries are so fetch!”
Why You’ll Love These Frozen French Fries in the Air Fryer
Mean Girls taught us millennials that on Wednesdays we wear pink, the limit does not exist, and when you don’t know what to eat, it’s okay to say, “Whatever, I’m getting cheese fries.”
This Dinner and a Movie recipe is the most delicious savory snack and I hope you enjoy every bite of it! It’s so easy to toss your frozen french fries in the air fryer and stir together your cheese sauce. Add your favorite toppings and dig in!
Check out more recipes in this series to inspire your next movie night! I know tonight I’m going to be turning on Mean Girls and making a batch of cheese fries – that’s just, like, the rules of feminism!
More Dinner and a Movie Recipes
- Chessy’s Vegetarian Chili from The Parent Trap
- Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon Recipe from Julie & Julia
- The Cosmopolitan Cocktail from Sex and the City
- The Princess Diaries Pear Sorbet
- Lavender Ice Cream with Honey from It’s Complicated
Ingredients
We’re going to spice the cheese sauce up today because we deserve it! You’re going to need fresh cheddar and a variety of spices, so let me break it down for you.
- Flour
- Whole milk
- Dijon mustard
- Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika
- Freshly shredded cheddar cheese
Aside from your cheese sauce, all you need is a bag of your favorite frozen french fries!
Cheese Fries Toppings
Who doesn’t love loaded cheese fries?! Add your favorite toppings to make this the snack of your dreams.
- Chop up and sprinkle chives or green onions on top!
- Make some bacon and slice it up for a salty and savory addition.
- Avocado will add a neutral flavor and creamy texture!
- Make chili cheese fries by adding a scoop of white chicken chili.
- Add kimchi for some crunch and fermentation.
- Jalapenos are great on top if you love spice!
- But if you want to cool it down, add some sour cream.
- Caramelized onions are good on everything, so don’t forget to add them to your cheese fries if you have the time.
- If you want to make this your dinner, just add some pulled pork or chicken so you can enjoy a filling protein.
How To Make Cheese Fries
Step 1: Preheat and Make Fries
Preheat the air fryer according to factory settings for ‘fries,’ or 400 F. Place an even layer of fries into the air fryer and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Step 2: Start Cheese Sauce
While the fries are cooking in the air fryer, prepare your cheese sauce! In a small saucepan, add the butter and heat it on medium-low until it’s melted. Add the flour, whisk, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Add Seasonings
Add milk to the flour roux and whisk it constantly until the mixture has thickened slightly to the point where it can coat the back of a wooden spoon. Whisk in the onion powder, garlic powder, dijon mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika.
Step 4: Add Cheese
Remove the pan from the heat and add shredded cheese. Whisk the cheese into the mixture until it’s smooth and completely melted. Taste test for more salt, if needed.
Note: If needed, add a few tablespoons of milk to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.
Step 5: Serve
Serve the fries with cheese sauce on the side, or pour it on top. Enjoy!
FAQs
Are french fries gluten-free?
Yes and no! If the french fries are simply potatoes tossed in seasonings and then cooked – then yes they are! If they’re tossed in flour before they’re cooked, unfortunately they’re not gluten-free. Most frozen french fries are tossed in flour so be sure to check the package if you’re making this recipe.
What kind of fries should I use?
You can use your favorite frozen french fries! If you can’t get your hands on frozen fries but you have a potato or two, slice them up and toss them in the seasonings of your choice, then air fry them.
How do I store cheese fries?
If you know you’re going to have leftovers, I would recommend only pouring the cheese sauce on the amount of fries you know you’re going to eat. That way you can save the cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat it on the stovetop and then pour it over your next batch of fries!
More Air Fryer Recipes To Try
If you make these Cheese Fries from Mean Girls, be sure to tag me on Pinterest and Instagram!
I seriously love seeing what you guys are making and sharing your creations with the College Housewife community!
Cheese Fries from Mean Girls
ingredients
- Frozen fries
- For cheese sauce:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
instructions
- Preheat air fryer according to factory settings for ‘fries’ or 400F. Place an even layer of fries into the air fryer and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- While the fries are cooking, prepare the cheese sauce. In a small sauce pan add butter and heat on medium-low heat until melted. Add flour, whisk together and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in milk to the flour roux and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened slightly and can coat the back of a wooden spoon. Whisk in the onion powder, garlic powder, dijon mustard, salt, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika.
- Remove pan from heat and add the shredded cheese. Whisk together until smooth. And melted. If needed, add a few tbsp of milk to thin the sauce out to desired consistency. Taste test for more salt if needed.
- Serve the fries with cheese sauce on the side or pour over on top of the cooked fries.
notes
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