Cheese fries or cheesy chips is a dish consisting offrench fries covered in cheese, with the possible addition of various other toppings. Cheese fries are generally served as a lunch- or dinner-time meal. They can be found in fast-food locations, diners, and grills around the globe.
Origins
The dish originated in the United States, although its exact birthplace is still widely disputed. Cheese fries have been said to grow in popularity in the United States after canned cheese products such as Cheez Whiz hit the U.S. markets in 1952. Don A. Jenkins is said to have invented a variation of the cheese fry, at the age of 16, in Tomball, Texas. Another report claims that a young fry cook named Austin Ruse was the first to serve this dish while working at Dairy Queen in St. Charles, MO.
Localized variations
Throughout the Southwest US, cheese fries are often covered in melted cheddar cheese, bacon bits, jalapeño slices, and chives, and served with ranch dressing. Alternately, they are also served as carne asada fries. In Philadelphia, pizza fries are topped with melted mozzarella and served with pizza sauceon the side, while "mega fries" are topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheese and bacon, usually served with a side of ranch dressing. In New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey, they are covered with American, mozzarella, or Swiss cheese, then melted. In New Jersey and certain New York City diners, Disco Fries are served with mozzarella and brown gravy. In other parts of the US, nacho cheese sauce is often used, especially in snack stand-type settings. Chili cheese fries are topped with chili con carne. The cheese is usually either American or cheddar. In Cincinnati, Ohio, they use their own Cincinnati chili for their chili cheese fries at the local chili restaurants. In New Mexico, they use New Mexican chili for their chili cheese fries, often adding chopped lettuce, tomato, and olives as garnish. In Ireland, a 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 seasonings. Another staple of Irish fast food restaurants, both stand-alone chippers or chains such as Supermac's, is "Garlic Cheese Chips", which consists of chips covered in garlic sauce and cheese, usually cheddar. In Bulgaria, a common side dish offered in most restaurants consists of French fries, topped with grated or crumbled sirene. In the Netherlands a dish named 'kapsalon' is served as fast food. This consist of fries covered with cheese, salad, and shawarma or doner kebab. It is often consumed with large amounts of garlic sauce or chili sauce. In the United Kingdom, chips and cheese are often served in pubs. Preparation includes the pouring of cheddar sauce over chips or sprinkling cheddar over chips and then putting the dish under a grill. A variation adds beef gravy or curry sauce on top.
