Nacho Fries…are back at Taco Bell. Well, I never knew they left but they did leave me wanting something else. They weirdly reminded me of Doritos. No surprise, they weren’t as good as they sounded. For less than two dollars, who can blame them? So I did what I do best: made my own Nacho Fries.
Not just any Nacho Fries, hand cut oven roasted fries with a vegan cashew queso dipping sauce! The fries are seasoned with a spicy blend of Mexican and Doritos like spices the baked in the oven until crispy. While the fries are cooking, blend up the queso sauce and you’ve made Nacho Fries!
Just like in this Burger Fry Salad recipe, I recommend boiling the potatoes first so they get nice and crispy in the oven. It sill takes some mixing and patience while they’re cooking, but I think it helps the outside get perfectly golden crisp. I’d rather cooking the fries in the oven a few minutes longer than stand over the stove frying fries any day.
I thought vegan queso would be a great addition to this recipe. Mainly because I didn’t have enough cheese laying around, but I did have cashews – so much more convenient. I realized half way through the recipe that oh boy, I’m making vegan queso but the fry seasoning has cheese in it! Oops. If you’re vegan or just don’t want to east cheese, I recommend using nutritional yeast (or any finely grated vegan cheese) in place of the Parmesan cheese. If anyone has any other recommendations, I’d love to know.
The queso dip is best served warm. Because warm crispy fries + hot creamy queso = perfection.
If you make this Nacho Fries with Cashew Queso, be sure to comment. I love hearing your thoughts and suggestions!
Nacho Fries with Cashew Queso
https://northcoasteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/nacho.fries_.queso-0085.jpg
| Yield: serves 5 - 6 people as a side |
Nacho Fries, hand cut oven roasted fries with a vegan cashew queso dipping sauce! The fries are seasoned with a spicy blend of Mexican and Doritos like spices the baked in the oven until crispy.
You'll Need...
- 3 pounds potatoes, sliced in french fries
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (or vegan cheese)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon tomato powder or chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- Queso:
- 1 cup cashews *See Note*
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup water, as needed
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When rapidly boiling, add potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain.
- Place potatoes and all the spices on baking sheet. Add a about 1 teaspoon of oil if the spices aren't sticking to the fries. Bake 45 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crisp.
- When fries are cooking, make queso. Place all ingredient in high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth, adding more water if too thick.
- Warm queso before serving with fries.
Additional Notes
*If you don't have a high speed blender, you might need to soak your cashews (for 4-6 hours) first for everything to blend smooth.
images & text © North Coast Eats
adapted fry seasoning: Epicurious Queso: Minimalist Baker
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