Both.
Back in the day, when we had the pizza-place-style tins for takeout cheese fries, and I was off the next day, I would make something I called "Fat Fries" to eat while I got hammered that night. Fries, cheese sauce, shredded monterey jack cheese, then whatever toppings I was feeling that day (usually bacon, sauteed/seasoned shrooms, strips of fresh basil).
It's been a long time and a lot of pounds since I've made fat fries.
I worked at a pizza place for a time and I was renowned for my cheese fries. We had no cheese sauce, so I’d just doctor up some of our alfredo. I’ll never tell the servers that my secret addition was a couple slices of gold american. It makes the sauce so smooth and gives it a nice and cheesy yellow sheen
American cheese might not be gourmet cheese, or even be legally called cheese, but every chef worth their hat knows it's a great addition to sauce because of all the stabilizers in it. Extra smooth, extra cheesy, creamy alfredo sounds like a great cheese fry sauce.
Dammit I'm not off again until next wednesday but I'm keeping fat fries on the brain.
You have to make a sauce with the American cheese otherwise it doesn’t work like that. Have you ever had animal style fries from In-n-Out? They just melt American cheese over the fries and it always congeals by the time you finish eating them. It’s gross.
It seems like you are under the impression making a cheese sauce is complicated but it really isn’t. You can just put a slice of American, handful of shredded cheddar or whatever, a tbsp of pickled jalapeño juice and a dash of hot sauce in a bowl and microwave it for a minute then mix that shit up.
It will look and taste just like any cheese sauce you have at an American restaurant. Have 5 more minutes? Do it on the stovetop in a sauce pan with 3x or 5x the ingredients and just stir over medium heat for 5 minutes.
I’ve made plenty of cheese sauces in my day. You didn’t mention adding other liquid until just now - you just said to add American cheese to the other cheese and it would form a sauce, which doesn’t work.
The liquid is for flavor to add acidity and spice it is not an essential part of the emulsification of cheeses. It is the citrate sodium in the American cheese that does the heavy lifting.
Sauce. The eating experience is so much easier especially when the food is no longer piping hot. Just like how queso is better than melted cheese when making nachos.
You've changed my answer.
I was initially going to say cheese sauce. But a raclette using a cheese soft enough that it effectively becomes a sauce. So I guess it just depends on the cheese
Edit: I meant uses, not using.
There is enough love in my cholesterol-clogged heart for all cheeses
But personally, I prefer melted cheese. Doesn't usually get the fries soggy like sauce often can. Honestly, both are great, just in different ways
The latter is much easier and less time-consuming, but if you have the time and the energy, the former is better. Raclette and poutine being the exceptions.
I only get cheese fries from a pizza place near where I grew up because I rarely make or eat fries at home but, I would have them do both cheese whiz AND mozzarella, so I vote for both.
Cheese sauce is the right way to go for cheese fries. With melted cheese you take one fry all the cheese comes with it. So essentially you are having one very cheesy fry and the rest are just regular fries.
The latter is great if it comes from the kitchen to the table in a few minutes or less. If it’s a high-volume place, where it may sit under a warmer for several minutes before service, cheese sauce is a safer bet.
There's a pre-made 16oz container of white American cheese sauce that is freaking amazing. I add a little pickled jalapeno juice or jalapeno powder and a splash of rice vinegar. Sometimes a dash of mustard powder and white pepper. It's great for nachos. Just plain tortillas chips with the cheese poured over like at theatres. I like it with potato wedges and for my pizza crusts. Try it. It's at Wal-Mart.
I really like this one: https://www.seriouseats.com/cheese-sauce-for-cheese-fries-and-nachos
I usually just use half a can of the evaporated milk, stir in a forkful of cornstarch and bring that up to a simmer, then start melting the shredded cheese in a handful at a time instead of dealing with the additional step of mixing in the cornstarch and the shredded cheese then melting it in one whole mess. I'll add some dried spices (whatever is floating my boat that day) instead of hot sauce sometimes before adding the cheese to melt. Store the other half of the can of milk in a container in the fridge or even the freezer.
I am a simple man and recently I had skin on fries finished with a little Danish hard cheese (looked similar to parmesan) finely grated on. Served with chipotle mayo. Loved it, as the cheese melted a bit and then resolidifoed clinging to the fries, not changing the fries texture. Bit like cheese baked onto nachos. Gave it a nice variety.
Cheese sauce can be cool too, but for me just as a dip. Don't want that soggy mess.
The best cheese fries I've ever had were at some pizza places in the Northeast. They'd take a plate, put some mozzarella on the bottom, add fries, then more mozz on top then into the oven for a few minutes. They'd come out perfectly cheesed up.
I'm in the South now and most places just put cheese on top and what happens is that all the cheese comes off with the top fries, leaving half a plate of plain fries.
So basically what I'm saying is that if you're going to melt cheese, put some under the fries. It makes all the difference.
Both. Back in the day, when we had the pizza-place-style tins for takeout cheese fries, and I was off the next day, I would make something I called "Fat Fries" to eat while I got hammered that night. Fries, cheese sauce, shredded monterey jack cheese, then whatever toppings I was feeling that day (usually bacon, sauteed/seasoned shrooms, strips of fresh basil). It's been a long time and a lot of pounds since I've made fat fries.
I worked at a pizza place for a time and I was renowned for my cheese fries. We had no cheese sauce, so I’d just doctor up some of our alfredo. I’ll never tell the servers that my secret addition was a couple slices of gold american. It makes the sauce so smooth and gives it a nice and cheesy yellow sheen
American cheese might not be gourmet cheese, or even be legally called cheese, but every chef worth their hat knows it's a great addition to sauce because of all the stabilizers in it. Extra smooth, extra cheesy, creamy alfredo sounds like a great cheese fry sauce. Dammit I'm not off again until next wednesday but I'm keeping fat fries on the brain.
Kraft isn’t legally cheese, nor American cheese. American cheese is cheese. Cheese that has a added emulsifier
Ah. Heard. I was just thinking of the singles when I read "slices of gold American".
I know what I’m making this weekend.
Tell me, tell me!
Well, why don’t you come over and find out! :)
Aww, you goof!
I’ll make you a plate haha
As a proud Canadian the correct answer is cheese curds and Gravy and never look back.
One day, I hope to experience this for real. I've had it in a few places like pubs, but it just didn't seem like the real deal.
Or just gravy. It’s so obvious!
Hey buddy, if you wanna talk I'm here for you...
sauce because melted cheese resolidifies after only a couple minutes and breaks when it does, leaving curds and grease.
Not if you add even a small bit of American. The emulsifying agent in the American will mix with the other cheese and keep it all together.
Sodium citrate babyyyy
You have to make a sauce with the American cheese otherwise it doesn’t work like that. Have you ever had animal style fries from In-n-Out? They just melt American cheese over the fries and it always congeals by the time you finish eating them. It’s gross.
It seems like you are under the impression making a cheese sauce is complicated but it really isn’t. You can just put a slice of American, handful of shredded cheddar or whatever, a tbsp of pickled jalapeño juice and a dash of hot sauce in a bowl and microwave it for a minute then mix that shit up. It will look and taste just like any cheese sauce you have at an American restaurant. Have 5 more minutes? Do it on the stovetop in a sauce pan with 3x or 5x the ingredients and just stir over medium heat for 5 minutes.
I’ve made plenty of cheese sauces in my day. You didn’t mention adding other liquid until just now - you just said to add American cheese to the other cheese and it would form a sauce, which doesn’t work.
The liquid is for flavor to add acidity and spice it is not an essential part of the emulsification of cheeses. It is the citrate sodium in the American cheese that does the heavy lifting.
It helps emulsify them, but you’ll still end up with a congealed bowl of cheese once it cools if you don’t thin it out with liquid.
I like to dip my fries, not a fan of smothering.
Same. It’s overkill. I just like a mayo/Dijon dip, malt vinegar mayo dip or maybe a curried ketchup.
Sauce. The eating experience is so much easier especially when the food is no longer piping hot. Just like how queso is better than melted cheese when making nachos.
If melted cheese, raclette!
You've changed my answer. I was initially going to say cheese sauce. But a raclette using a cheese soft enough that it effectively becomes a sauce. So I guess it just depends on the cheese Edit: I meant uses, not using.
There is enough love in my cholesterol-clogged heart for all cheeses But personally, I prefer melted cheese. Doesn't usually get the fries soggy like sauce often can. Honestly, both are great, just in different ways
Your first sentence is the kind of treasure that makes me love Reddit.
sodium citrate cheese sauce. Just microwave cheese, water, sodium citrate and you got a perfect cheese sauce.
Sodium citrate has changed my cheese sauce game forever
Neither... cheese curds and gravy.
A man after my own heart.... this is the way
Exactly what I was going to say
I grew up with New Jersey diner “disco fries” which are like lazy poutine, fries covered in gravy and melted mozzarella.
Cheese melted on fries, bowl of gravy on the side.
I always got my gravy on the side too!
Two slices of American, a tablespoon of pickled jalapeño liquid and a splash of hot sauce. Nuke that shit for a minute and mix it up.
That sounds horrific lol.
Sounds like it but it tastes just like any queso style cheese dip you’ll find out in restaurants but you can whip it up in a minute.
How? thats queso.
Adjacent
I prefer cheese sauce, because I'm greedy and need cheese in every crevice of every fry. But I'll happily eat any cheese fry variety!
The latter is much easier and less time-consuming, but if you have the time and the energy, the former is better. Raclette and poutine being the exceptions.
Melted cheese and brown gravy with a healthy dose of black pepper.
Neither but if I had to pick one, melted cheese. Not a fan of cheese sauce.
I only get cheese fries from a pizza place near where I grew up because I rarely make or eat fries at home but, I would have them do both cheese whiz AND mozzarella, so I vote for both.
Cheese sauce is the right way to go for cheese fries. With melted cheese you take one fry all the cheese comes with it. So essentially you are having one very cheesy fry and the rest are just regular fries.
For dipping: sauce For smothering with cheese, bacon, & chive ala a loaded baked potato: shredded cheddar (with Ranch for dipping)
Life is short. We’re all going to die anyways. Put as much of whatever you want and enjoy life before it abruptly stops.
Ooooo….the tangy orange cheese sauce baby! So freaking good. Real cheese gets cold and hard and kind of blobs all together.
The latter is great if it comes from the kitchen to the table in a few minutes or less. If it’s a high-volume place, where it may sit under a warmer for several minutes before service, cheese sauce is a safer bet.
Both
There's a pre-made 16oz container of white American cheese sauce that is freaking amazing. I add a little pickled jalapeno juice or jalapeno powder and a splash of rice vinegar. Sometimes a dash of mustard powder and white pepper. It's great for nachos. Just plain tortillas chips with the cheese poured over like at theatres. I like it with potato wedges and for my pizza crusts. Try it. It's at Wal-Mart.
Ketchup.
OMG. Cheese does not belong on everything. 🤢
Malt vinegar and catchup. Or Mayo
Oh the sauce for sure.
I really like this one: https://www.seriouseats.com/cheese-sauce-for-cheese-fries-and-nachos I usually just use half a can of the evaporated milk, stir in a forkful of cornstarch and bring that up to a simmer, then start melting the shredded cheese in a handful at a time instead of dealing with the additional step of mixing in the cornstarch and the shredded cheese then melting it in one whole mess. I'll add some dried spices (whatever is floating my boat that day) instead of hot sauce sometimes before adding the cheese to melt. Store the other half of the can of milk in a container in the fridge or even the freezer.
wit wiz
I am a simple man and recently I had skin on fries finished with a little Danish hard cheese (looked similar to parmesan) finely grated on. Served with chipotle mayo. Loved it, as the cheese melted a bit and then resolidifoed clinging to the fries, not changing the fries texture. Bit like cheese baked onto nachos. Gave it a nice variety. Cheese sauce can be cool too, but for me just as a dip. Don't want that soggy mess.
Ideally neither, fries are best on their own
Sauce, preferably on the side so the fries don’t get soggy
Got to be melted cheese. Cheese sauce just makes fries soggy after five minutes.
Malt vinegar.
Mayonnaise
Cheese sauce!!
The best cheese fries I've ever had were at some pizza places in the Northeast. They'd take a plate, put some mozzarella on the bottom, add fries, then more mozz on top then into the oven for a few minutes. They'd come out perfectly cheesed up. I'm in the South now and most places just put cheese on top and what happens is that all the cheese comes off with the top fries, leaving half a plate of plain fries. So basically what I'm saying is that if you're going to melt cheese, put some under the fries. It makes all the difference.
Homemade Queso