Cheese fries
Encyclopedia
Cheese fries are a popular fast food
dish consisting of french fries
covered in cheese
, similar to the French-Canadian snack poutine
, which is fries, cheese curds and brown gravy.
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
dish consisting of french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
covered in cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, similar to the French-Canadian snack poutine
Poutine
Poutine is a Canadian dish of French fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce. Sometimes additional ingredients are added.Poutine is a fast food dish that originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada...
, which is fries, cheese curds and brown gravy.
Localized variations
- Cheesy chips were thought to have originated in the UK in the town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the early 1970s, served by Greggs the bakers. The recipe however never reached Wales, until in 1985 when a forestry student called Jon Ansell asked for chips with sprinkled cheese on Holyrood road in Bangor in a Chinese chip shop, which subsequently came popular with other students.
- Served in "The Kiln" at Keele University Students' UnionKeele University Students' UnionKeele University Students' Union is the students' union of Keele University, England.-Overview:The main Students' Union building at the University of Keele was designed by architects Stillman & Eastwick-Field , with some guidance from the University's architect, J.A...
, often combined with beans or gravy. - Throughout the Southwest US, cheese fries are often covered in melted cheddar cheeseCheddar cheeseCheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese, produced in several countries around the world. It has its origins in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset....
, bacon bits, jalapeño slices, and chives and served with ranch dressingRanch dressingRanch dressing is a condiment made of some combination of buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, minced green onion, garlic powder, and other seasonings mixed into a sauce. Ranch dressing has been the best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992, when it overtook Italian dressing...
. - In Philadelphia, In the early 1980s, Cheese Fries with Cheez WhizCheez WhizCheez Whiz is a thick processed cheese sauce or spread sold by Kraft Foods. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman and was first marketed in 1953....
first surfaced from a company called "Philly Fries" (founded in 1981). Scott Collins and his mother Vilma Collins created the dish as described in the Philadelphia Daily NewsPhiladelphia Daily NewsThe Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
in 1983.http://home.comcast.net/~jewfest//pwpimages/.__1155_480_Philly%20Fries%20-%20Philadelphia%20Daily%20News%201983%20-%20Story.jpg,http://home.comcast.net/~jewfest//pwpimages/.__480_376_Philly%20Fries%20-%20Philadephia%20Daily%20News%201983%20-%20Vilma.jpg - In Philadelphia, pizza fries are topped with melted mozzarella and served with pizza sauce on the side, while "Mega Fries" are topped with Cheddar (or sometimes Cheez WhizCheez WhizCheez Whiz is a thick processed cheese sauce or spread sold by Kraft Foods. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman and was first marketed in 1953....
) and mozzarella cheese and bacon. Usually served with a side of ranch dressing. - In New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Long Island, and New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
they are covered with American, Mozzarella, or Swiss cheese, then melted (properly broiled). - In New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and certain New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
dinersDinersDiners can mean:* Diners Club International, a credit card company* plural of "diner", see Diner * Diners are type of North American restaurant...
, Disco Fries are cheese fries served with brown gravy. - Willy's Cheesteaks in Red Bank, NJ was voted best cheese fries in the 2010 New Jersey Foodie Awards. Ironically, they were also voted Worst Cheesteak the same year.
- Chilli cheese fries are cheese fries topped with Chili con carneChili con carneChili con carne is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, "chili pepper with meat". Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included...
. The cheese is usually either American or Cheddar. In Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, they use their own Cincinnati chiliCincinnati chiliCincinnati chili is a regional style of Chili con carne characterized by the use of unusual seasonings such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice or chocolate. It is commonly served over spaghetti or as a hot dog sauce, and is normally of a thin, sauce-like consistency, unlike most chili con carne...
for their Chilli cheese fries at the local chilli restaurants. In New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, they use New Mexican Chile for their chilli cheese fries, often adding chopped lettuce, tomato, and olives as garnish. - In other parts of the US, nacho cheese is often used, especially in snack-stand type settings.
- In IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
a popular variation called "Taco Fries" consists of fresh cut chips covered in sub sauce and shredded Cheddar. Piled on top of the cheese are ground beef, tomato, peppers, onions, and various seasoning. - In YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
"cheesy chips" were first combined by Rich Moore of Harrogate, on a night out in Leeds. Since then its popularity has grown throughout the UK. - In BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, a common side dish offered in most restaurants consists of French fries, topped with grated or crumbled sireneSireneSirene/ Sirenje or known as "white brine sirene" .Salads: Shopska salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, onions and sirene. Ovcharska salad with the above mentioned vegetables, cheese, ham, boiled eggs and olives. Tomatoes with sirene is a traditional light salad during the summer.Eggs:...
. - Fast food chain Taco BellTaco BellTaco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
serves a "Fries Supreme"-named variation of Cheese Fries - fries covered in cheese sauce, sour cream, tomato and green onions. - Fast food chain In-N-Out BurgerIn-N-Out BurgerIn-N-Out Burger is a regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations in the western United States. Founded in 1948 by Harry Snyder and his wife Esther, establishing the first In-N-Out burger in Baldwin Park and headquartered in Irvine, California, In-N-Out Burger has since expanded outside...
serves "Animal Style Fries" which are covered in melted cheese, grilled onions, and Thousand Island dressing. - The origin of "cheese fries" may pre-date the first mention of such in Philadelphia. In 1969, at Camden Catholic HS(http://www.camdencatholic.org), located in the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, NJ, James Jordan was widely credited with originally pouring the melted cheddar/American cheese normally ladled onto burgers instead onto the French fries. The trend rapidly spread among area high schools, ultimately surfacing onto Philadelphia restaurant menus.
- Some German "Imbisse" (fast food joints) serve a variation on chilli cheese fries with bolognese sauce instead of chilli.
