Cottage fries with beer cheese recipe

Send the standby seven-layer dip back to the locker room for a pep talk because our recipe for thick-cut cottage fries smothered in a robust lager-cheese sauce and fresh herbs just became MVP of Super Bowl game day grub.

The secret to our lager-cheese sauce is creating a smooth and creamy base that will carry the sharp cheddar flavor and malty notes of the lager into every nook and cranny of the crisp potato. To achieve this, we start with a roux – equal parts of fat and flour, whisked together with liquid to form a silky smooth sauce.

Oven-baked cottage fries recipe with lager cheese sauce recipe

Serves 4

For the fries:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 8 medium potatoes, skin-on, cut into wedges
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the cheese sauce:

• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (8 ounce) bottle of favorite lager beer, room temperature
• 1 cup shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chicken stock (for thinning sauce as needed)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and minced
• Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Turn on the oven broiler and set rack at the second-highest level. In a large bowl, toss the oil and garlic with the potatoes until well coated. Season with salt and pepper and place on a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil seven to 10 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown on one side; turn potatoes. Continue to broil for another five minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
2. Prepare the cheese sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Sweat the onions and garlic in the butter. Increase the heat to medium and add the flour to make a roux. Stir vigorously with a whisk to distribute the flour in the butter mixture and continue to cook for one minute.
3. Add half of the bottle of beer and whisk the mixture until smooth. Add the remaining beer, whisk to incorporate and allow to come to a boil. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in small amounts of chicken broth until you reach the desired consistency.
4. Pour over the oven fries and garnish with apple and fresh herbs.

More beer recipes

Super Bowl beer punch recipe
Beer-steamed crab recipe
Sausage braised in beer and apples