Garlic Cheese Fries

Do I have any French Fry lovers out there? Let’s get creative with these crispy spuds and make them a work of art, into my garlic cheese fries stack!

stack of garlic cheese fries with text overlay for facebook


 

I love, love, love potatoes! You have so many options when you start with potatoes and these garlic cheese fries are just one example of how creative you can get. They are like a blank canvas waiting to be painted.

Don’t be fooled by the simple ingredients; these homemade french fries are full of flavor and the perfect side for any meal. The garlic mixture, and crispy fries come together to make a garlic cheese fries dish that will really will blow your mind!

Place this french fry stack next to any dish you see fit, they are bound to go well together and will not ever look out of place. I mean they are quite fancy looking, but the only special item you need is probably already in your pantry- a metal can!

Garlic Cheese Fry Recipe

Yep- like a soup can! Next time you make something with a can, rinse it out, take off the top, bottom and label and set it aside for the next time you have a hankering for some fries.

For this crispy french fries stack I used a 12-ounce tomato sauce can, but if you want to use something a little more narrow, you can make double the stacks. This recipe will make 2 large towers or 4 small towers.

fork digging into cheesy garlic fries

Classic French Fries

If you choose to go the homemade route rather than using the frozen variety, I have a great Air Fryer French Fries recipe you could use to make these garlic cheese fries instead.

The big difference with doing it this way is just the size of the potatoes. Using frozen shoestring potatoes allows the fries to be small enough to fit into the can. Make sure to cut your fresh potatoes to about that same size.

Cut russet potatoes into fries shape (aiming to be the size of shoestring fries.) Place the fries in strainer or colander and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.

Pat the fries dry with paper towels removing any excess water and toss in oil. Arrange the fries in an even layer in the air fryer basket. Leave space between each fry. You may need to cook in batches. Cook in the air fryer, flipping them halfway through cooking.

straight on shot of garlic cheese fries stack

Garlic Cheese Fries Ingredients

  • Frozen shoestring potato fries – While homemade fries are delicious, they require quite a process to make. If you feel inclined to make them be my guest. However, for the sake of simplicity and time, I used frozen fries.
  • Garlic – Rather than use garlic powder, I use garlic cloves (minced or crushed) to get the maximum amount of garlic flavor into our garlic cheese fries.
  • Parsley – Fresh parsley adds a nice clean flavor, as well as some color to your garlic parmesan fries.
  • Oil – If you choose to fry your fries rather than bake them, you will need some sort of oil. Vegetable oil is usually the best for this type of thing. It’s helpful to have a deep-fry thermometer to ensure you get the right oil temperature.
  • Salt & Pepper – I always prefer using fine sea salt when making a dish like this. Besides the garlic and cheese, salt and fresh ground pepper are all you need to season this garlic cheese fries recipes.
  • Shredded cheese – The type of cheese is your choice. I used an Italian blend, but to make garlic parmesan french fries, I would suggest using parmesan cheese.
  • Cooking spray – I don’t usually list this in with the rest of the ingredients, however, it’s crucial to this recipe. If you don’t spray the inside of the metal can, the fries will stick and your beautiful fry stack will be ruined.
overhead shot of garlic cheese fries on two plates

How to Make Garlic Cheese Fries

  1. Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet. Preheat the oven and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and coat with olive oil cooking spray.
  2. Cook fries. Prepare French fries according to package directions for either frying or baking. If frying, do it in small batches and watch out for splatter. Hot oil does not like cold, frozen fries. Remove to a paper towel lined plate in a single layer to drain while you prepare the spices.
  3. Prepare spices. In a large mixing bowl, combine garlic through black pepper and give it a mix. It will all sticky together at this point, but will break apart as soon as you toss the fries. So you guessed it, the next step is to toss the French fries!
  4. Prepare cans. Spray the inside of metal cans (soup cans, tomato sauce, etc) with cooking spray. Place on the baking sheet.
  5. Add layers. Stuff a pinch of French fries into your can; just enough to cover the bottom. Sprinkle a pinch of cheese over the fries and continue to layer, ending with an additional sprinkle of cheese. Pack fairly tight and be generous with the cheese, it is the “glue” to making your tower stay upright.
  6. Bake. Bake garlic cheese fries until cheese has melted. Using a large, wide spatula, transfer the stack, metal can and all to your serving plate. Slide the spatula under and carefully transfer. Now carefully pull the metal can up and off.
collage of how to make garlic cheese fries

Storage and Freezing

As a general rule that I’m sure you’re aware of, french fries don’t tend to reheat well. If you do choose to reheat them, I would suggest reheating them in the oven. Store this garlic fries recipe in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

I do not suggest freezing these garlic cheese fries.

collage of garlic cheese fries for pinterest

Check out some of these other easy oven baked french fries:

oil poured onto plate of truffle fries

Parmesan Truffle Potato Wedges

Parmesan Truffle Potato Wedges have a crispy outside with fluffy inside and are tossed in truffle oil, garlic, salt pepper and finely grated Parmesan cheese.
See The Recipe!
plate of cinnamon sugar sweet potato fries

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries

These Brown Sugar Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries are the ultimate fall side dish! Perfect for serving with a burger, or as a delicious snack!
See The Recipe!
crispy garlic cheese fries with text overlay for pinterest
overhead shot of garlic cheese fries on two plates

Garlic Cheese Fry Recipe

4.93 from 13 votes
This Garlic Cheese Fries recipe is a stunning tower of cheesy, garlicky, crispy French fries. Make your own in 30 minutes!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
  • Prepare French fries according to package directions for either frying or baking. If frying, do it 2-3 batches and watch out for splatter. Hot oil does not like cold, frozen fries. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain while you prepare the spices.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine garlic through black pepper and give it a mix. It will all sticky together at this point, but will break apart as soon as you toss the fries. So you guessed it, the next step is to toss the French fries!
  • Spray the inside of metal cans (soup cans, tomato sauce, etc) with cooking spray. Place on the baking sheet. Stuff a pinch of French fries into your can; just enough to cover the bottom. Sprinkle a pinch of cheese over the fries and continue to layer, ending with an additional sprinkle of cheese. Pack fairly tight and be generous with the cheese, it is the “glue” to making your tower stay upright.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Using a large, wide spatula, transferring stack, metal can and all to your serving plate.  Slide the spatula under and carefully transfer.  Now carefully pull the metal can up and off.
  • Admire your French fry construction and enjoy your Garlic Parsley French Fry Tower!
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was! 

Notes

Remove both ends of your can and the label. Wash and dry well before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 616 kcal, Carbohydrates: 61 g, Protein: 10 g, Fat: 37 g, Saturated Fat: 12 g, Cholesterol: 16 mg, Sodium: 1395 mg, Potassium: 884 mg, Fiber: 9 g, Vitamin A: 140 IU, Vitamin C: 13.7 mg, Calcium: 131 mg, Iron: 2.8 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 616
Course: Side
Cuisine: American
Keyword: garlic cheese fries
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

4.93 from 13 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Questions and Reviews

  1. G’day! I love the tower Jessica!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Cheers! Joanne
    Viewed as part of the Foodie Friends Friday Potato Party!

  2. 5 stars
    This is brilliant!!! It’s so easy, yet looks like something a gourmet restaurant would serve up! Fantastic job!

  3. I think that I seriously want those french fries right now but they don’t really fit into this week’s diet. Maybe you can come make them for me next month. 🙂