You would do well to get yourself a broiler. (This is something you find in your oven.) You will not be making any cheese fries worthy of the name on your George Foreman Grill. You might be able to do it in the oven, but it's going to get hot from the wrong side. You can make a batch in the toaster, but it will be very small. Broiler. If none of your friends has one, make better friends.
Obviously, there are a lot of ways to make cheese fries. You could make fancy pants gourmet ones that would likely be quite delicious. But then you really need to call them something else, like 'Parsley potato fingerlings with gorgonzola and prosciutto'. This is the reverse engineered recipe for the version I became instantly addicted to in college.
Please acquire:
- Frozen crinkle cut french fries, unseasoned, one bag per person (you can do it, ya sissy)
- Cheese - ideally 1/2 cheddar 1/2 mozzarella like the kind they used ot put on Shakey's Pizza. This has a nice cheddary flavor but avoids cheddar's melting issues.
- Johnny's Seasoning Salt or your local variant thereof (garlic salt, onion salt, paprika, pepper - most steak house type places sell bottles of this and it all tastes the same, i.e., delicious)
- An oven safe plate, the cast iron kind fajitas are served on that waiters don't allow you to touch
- A frying pan
- Some cooking oil
- A broiler (Aha! You thought you were going to sneak past me without a broiler, but I am onto you, my friend!)
First you need to deal with your fries. This is the one area in which I will stray from the recipe for the cheese fries of my youth, as I don't recommend using a deep fryer. The fries can come out too greasy and totally ruin the effect. Plus these freezer fries are genetically engineered to crisp up in almost any circumstance. So thaw your fries, fill your frying pan with oil about an eighth of an inch deep, and dump them in there. If you're highly trained, you can pick up the pan and toss the fries around, but novices must use a spatula.
Once your fries have taken on a healthy glow, drain off the excess oil. It might help to transfer them to a plate with several paper towels on it and let them sit a minute. When they're less greasy, they can go on your oven plate or baking tray.
Sprinkle the fries with a cup of cheese. No need to try any tricky layering manuvers - any dispersion issues will correct themselves in the eating. Heat your broiler up to a temperature that sounds good to you (hint: it's not hard to melt cheese) and put your fries in it.
Check your fries after about five minutes. They are probably done. If you want them toastier or the cheese crispier, leave them in for another two or three.
Douse liberally with seasoning salt and enjoy!