Homemade Cheesy Potato Sticks

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These crispy potato cheese sticks are the perfect snack to make and enjoy with your entire family.

If you love a good French fry, but want to whip up a snack that packs in a bit more, this one’s the perfect recipe.

You’ll be surprised at how by simply adding cheese to a mixture of boiled and mashed potatoes, you can end up with a snack that’s so wickedly delicious.

What I Love About this Recipe

These potato sticks are super cheesy and crunchy, and are actually pretty easy to make too.

You can put them together super quick, and also make them ahead of time and store them for weeks, until you’re ready to fry them.

This recipe is actually perfect to make and store for all those occasions when you have guests coming over, or just for those times when you’re craving for something cheesy and flavorful that’s homemade.

Cooking Time for the Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients For the Potato Sticks

You’ll need just 4 simple ingredients to make these crispy and crunchy cheese potato sticks.

• 1 lbs. potatoes (Russet or golden potatoes)
• ½ cup corn starch
• ½ cup shredded cheese (I used Gouda, but you can use any kind)
• Salt, to taste

How to Make the Potato Cheese Sticks

Once you have the ingredients ready, here’s the process you’ll need to follow to make the potato cheese sticks.

Step 1: Prep the Potatoes

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Peel and wash your potatoes. Medium dice your potatoes.

Step 2: Boil and Mash the Potatoes

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 12-15 minutes, or until fully cooked.

Remove them from the pot and let them drain until all water is drained. Then mash your potatoes by pushing them through a strainer.

Step 3: Prepare the Potato Mixture

Add the cornstarch, cheese, and a pinch of salt to the mashed potatoes and mix until well combined.

Step 4: Freeze the Mixture

Place the mashed potatoes in a Ziplock bag and flatten the mashed potatoes with a rolling pin, and freeze for about 1 hour.

Step 5: Prepare the Sticks

Carefully cut open the Ziplock bag to keep the mashed potatoes intact. Cut your sticks by cutting them in half first, and then smaller sticks.

Step 6: Fry Until Golden Brown

Heat vegetable oil in a pan and wait until it has reached 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once your oil is hot, fry your potato cheese sticks in batches for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure your pan is not too crowded.

Step 7: Serve and Enjoy

Transfer these potato sticks on a plate with kitchen towel, so it will absorb most oil. Serve while hot with your favorite dip sauce.

Tips to Make the Potato Cheese Sticks

While making these crunchy and crispy potato sticks is super easy, you might want to take note of these little tips and tricks.

• I’ve used cornflour as the binding agent for these crispy sticks, but if you don’t have it, you can use potato starch as an alternative.
• You can also choose to season the mixture for the potato snack with some red pepper flakes, crushed black pepper, Italian seasoning, dried oregano or even some cayenne pepper if you want to bring in a bit of extra flavor.
• Garlic powder or stock powder can also be a great addition to the mixture.
• Remember to drain the potatoes well after they have been boiled, and then proceed to mash them. Getting rid of the excess moisture will ensure that the mixture has the perfect texture and consistency.
• The mixture for these potato cheese sticks needs to be smooth and uniform. To do this, you’ll need to use a potato masher.
• I’ve used Gouda cheese for this recipe, but you can use any other cheese of your choice. I would recommend using cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese.
• Remember to fry these potato cheese sticks on medium high heat to get them nice and crispy on the outside, and perfectly cooked on the inside.

How Can Make the Potato Sticks More Crispy?

To make the potato cheese sticks more crispy, you can add rice flour into the mixture instead of cornflour.

Another great idea is to Air Fry the sticks instead of deep frying them.

Can I Make Them Ahead of Time?

Yes, you totally can!

You can prepare the mixture for these cheese potato sticks weeks in advance (up to step 5), and then freeze them until you’re ready to fry and serve them.

Just remember to use a Ziploc bag or a freezer safe container to store them. This will help prevent freezer burn.

How Do I Store Them?

The best way to store this potato cheese snack is to transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it.

You can store the leftover potato sticks for 2-3 days, and then reheat them in the Air Fryer or in the oven.

I would not recommend microwaving the sticks, as it can cause them to become limp and soggy.

How to Serve the Potato Cheese Sticks

These cheesy and easy potato sticks can be served as a delicious snack on its own, or with a dipping sauce of your choice.

You can stick to the classics and serve these potato sticks with some tomato ketchup or ranch on the side, or serve these sticks on a platter and top them with a drizzle of some cheese sauce or hot sauce and some freshly chopped herbs of your choice.

More Easy Snack Recipes

If you enjoyed trying this recipe and inspired to try some more such easy and flavorful snack recipes, here are a few good ones you might want to take a look at.

• Best Cheesesteak Quesadilla Recipe
• Best Air Fryer Onion Rings
• The Best Air Fryer Chicken Wings
• Air Fryer Turkey Thighs
• Healthy Air Fryer Carrot Fries