21 Leftover French Fries We Can’t Resist

Did you make a butt load of French fries last night, and overestimated your ability to eat them all up?

If you have, you’re probably searching for ideas for what to do with leftover French fries.

Well, you’ve definitely come to the right place.

After reading this guide, you’ll have all sorts of delicious leftover french fries ideas to try out instead of letting those fries go to waste.

Read on to find out more about 21 of the tastiest leftover French fries recipes, as well as how to reheat your fries to get them back to their crispy origins.

1. Leftover Fries and Ham Casserole

Are you looking for a way to give your leftover french fries a delicious twist?

If you are, then boy do we have an idea for you!

This cheesy casserole of ham and leftover fries will have your tastebuds yearning for more.

Do you know what the best part is?

All you’ll need to prepare this tasty dish is your leftover fries, some ham, sour cream, and your choice of cheese.

2. Lamb Satay Disco Fries

If you have some time on your hands and want to go above and beyond with your leftover fries, you can add some Indonesian flair to them with lamb satay.

You’ll need some lamb stock, Panang curry paste, and coconut milk, among other ingredients.

This dish can take up to an hour to prepare, but it’s worth the effort for sure. 

3. Beef and Potato Hand Pies

Do you have some puff pastry lying around in your freezer just waiting to be put to good use?

Well, it’s time to take that pastry out and combine it with some ground beef and those leftover fries to make a scrumptious finger food!

All you need to do now is to throw some cheese into the mix and you’ve got a real winner on your hands for game night with your buddies.

4. Chicken and Leftover Fries Quesadilla

This one’s yet another finger food that we simply can’t get enough of. 

Chicken quesadillas are a fan favorite for foodies all over the world, and guess what, you can add a new twist to them with some leftover french fries.

The gooiness of the fries along with that warm melted cheese will have your tastebuds feeling extra grateful.

5. Air Fryer Buffalo Fries

Another great way to make use of those fries you have left over from yesterday’s lunch is to whip up a delicious platter of buffalo fries.

Start off by reheating your fries in an air fryer to help them regain that crunchy texture, and then drizzle some buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and cheddar cheese all over them.

If the spicy kick of the buffalo sauce isn’t enough for you, go ahead and spice it even more with some jalapenos.

6. Chips Masala

This is one of the more out-of-the-box ideas on this list of what to make with leftover French fries.

In just 30 minutes, you can transform those old, soggy fries into an African dish that’ll have you wondering how you’ve never tried it before.

This staple of Kenyan cuisine is sure to be popular amongst those who like some heat in their food. 

The chili sauce and turmeric powder this recipe incorporates will offer an abundance of sensory delight to your tastebuds. 

7. Breakfast Burrito

Whatever you usually pack into your breakfast burrito, adding some properly reheated leftover fries to it is more than likely going to take it to the next level.

The soft texture of the fries will complement the flavor of the eggs and the crunchiness of the bacon perfectly.

Here’s the kicker.

Adding fries to your burrito gives you an extra layer of flavor without any extra prep time. 

8. French Fry Soup

No, this isn’t a typo, you read it right!

French fry soup isn’t as well known as its tomato and onion counterparts, but this warm bowl of deliciousness is super underrated.

All you’ll need to make it is some sour cream, chicken broth, and lemons, along with your leftover French fries.

Try it out as an appetizer with your dinner today!

9. Animal Fries

Still wondering what to do with leftover french fries?

What if I told you that you can transform yesterday’s fries into a glorious plate of animal-style ones that rival those from your favorite burger joint?

Once you fetch some American cheese, sweet pickle relish, brown sugar, and caramelized onions, you’ll be able to do just that.

Do you want to know what’s even better?

All it’ll take is 20 minutes of your time.

10. French Fry Frittata

Another way to put your leftover French fries to good use is to incorporate them into a hearty breakfast dish the next morning.

What better way to do so than to mix them into your morning frittata?

Add some broccoli, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, and basil pesto onto your eggs along with the fries, and your most important meal of the day will be that much tastier. 

11. Hash Browns

Have you made your frittata and still have some leftover French fries to spare? 

If you do, no need to throw them away.

You can use those extra fries to whip up a side dish of some tasty hash browns.

Just chop up your fries, throw them into some oil in a skillet and you’re good to go.

12. Chili Cheese Fries

If your leftover French fries have gotten particularly hard and scaly, then you’re going to need quite a lot to revive them.

A great way to do so is to use them to make a scrumptious platter of chili cheese fries.

The bonanza of flavors provided by the sour cream, red kidney beans, ground beef, and melted cheese drizzled on top will more than do the trick.

You can also add some jalapenos for some extra spiciness.

13. Leftover French Fries Breakfast Skillet

Another excellent idea for using your leftover french fries is to mix them into a loaded breakfast skillet.

There are many directions that you can go with this one.

However, our hands-down favorite involves sausage, bacon bits, a whole lot of melted cheddar, and a pinch of hot sauce.

14. Poutine

If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying poutine before, then you’re missing out for sure.

If you have some leftover french fries, using them to give this delicious dish a go is a two-birds-with-one-stone kind of situation.

All you’ll need to do is reheat the fries in the oven with some gravy drizzled all over them, as well as some melted cheese curds.

Once you give poutine a shot, it definitely won’t be the last time you do so.

15. Bacon Cheese Fries

Whenever bacon, cheese, and fries are involved, you simply can’t go wrong.

This holds true even when the fries are left over.

The crispiness of the bacon, along with the gooey goodness of the melted cheddar, add a wealth of texture to your leftover fries no matter how far gone they may be.

16. Mashed Potatoes

Do you want to make one of the world’s most popular side dishes in a fraction of the time it would take you to do so with uncooked potatoes?

If you are, then your leftover fries are more than up to the task.

All you’ll need to do is mash your leftover fries using a fork and mix them with some sour cream.

Once you heat up the mix, you’ll have a delicious bowl of mashed potatoes on your hands.

17. Shepherd’s Pie Loaded French Fries

Are you in search of a way to turn your leftover fries into a full-blown meal?

If you are, then shepherd’s pie loaded fries are the way to go.

The ingredients you’ll require to make this tasty dish are ground beef, mixed vegetables, cheddar cheese, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.

Once you have these things in hand, you’ll get to dig into some mouth-watering shepherd’s pie fries 45 minutes later (or you can save and easily reheat tomorrow!).

18. Pepperoni Pizza Fries

When a dish has these three words in its name, you can be sure that it’s going to be a crowd-pleaser.

These loaded fries will have your friends wanting movie night to be at your place every single week!

With some pepperoni, tomato paste, mozzarella cheese, bell peppers, and 30 minutes of your time, you can give your leftover fries a glorious makeover.

19. Spanish Tortilla

Are you having trouble deciding what to have for breakfast this morning?

Well, we strongly suggest that you throw those leftover fries into a delicious Spanish tortilla.

This dish doesn’t include tortilla bread at all.

It’s a delicious egg-based recipe that mixes in cheese, your leftover fries, and an assortment of vegetables as toppings.

This meal is just as nutritious as it is tasty.

20. Leftover French Fry Waffles

Do you have some leftover fries and a waffle maker in your kitchen?

If you do, then making french fry waffles should definitely be on your to-do list.

These are super simple to make and only require eggs, seasoning, and your choice of sauce.

Do you know what’s even better?

These waffles can be ready to eat in as little as five minutes. 

21. Philly Cheese Steak Loaded Fries

The combination of mozzarella cheese, olives, peppers, and steak in Philly cheese steaks is one that’s loved all over the world.

Therefore, it’s never a bad idea to combine it with other foods, and your leftover French fries are no exception.

Once you try this delicious recipe, you’ll find yourself leaving your fries overnight on purpose to make it the next day!

Leftover French Fries: Additional Guidelines

Now that you have all of these ideas for what to make with leftover french fries, you want to do them right.

Here are some of the things you should keep in mind if you want the recipes you use your leftover french fries in to give the best results:

How Long Are Leftover French Fries Good For?

We get it, no one wants their French fries to go to waste.

However, you also don’t want to upset your stomach by eating French fries that have gone bad.

If your leftover fries have been lying around on the kitchen counter at room temperature for more than two hours, then you’re better off just throwing them in the trash.

When refrigerated with the correct storage conditions, leftover fries can last much longer than this.

Refrigerated fries are completely safe to eat for up to five days.

If you’ve opted to pop your leftover fries into the freezer, then they’re going to be safe to eat for the long haul.

Frozen cooked fries are good for up to a year.

How to Store Leftover French Fries

So, how should you store your leftover French fries?

If you’re storing them in the fridge, make sure to have them in a well-sealed shallow airtight container.

Another option is to wrap them tightly in foil.

The same applies if you’re going to store your fries in the freezer.

However, you do have the additional option of using a freezer bag.

Best Ways to Heat Leftover French Fries

When you take out your fries from the fridge or freezer, there are several methods you can use to reheat them.

These are the ones we recommend:

Pan Fry

The quickest way to reheat some leftover French fries is to simply refry them in a pan.

All you’ll need to do is put some oil in a pan and preheat it to 375℉.

Then, toss your fries in there and fry them for two minutes or so until they regain their crunchy exterior. 

Remove the fries from the oil immediately onto some paper towels to remove any excess oil 

The great thing about this method is that maintains the fries’ fluffy interior.

In the Oven

This is the best method to use if you’re planning on reheating a large quantity of fries in one go.

Here’s what you’ll want to do:

First, preheat a baking sheet in your oven to 425℉.

Once the baking sheet has reached the desired temperature, take it out of the oven and place your fries on it.

Make sure to distribute the fries evenly and ensure that there’s adequate space between each fry and the next.

It should take about five minutes for your fries to be as good as new.

However, this time may vary depending on how many fries you’re reheating and the size of each fry.

In an Air Fryer

Another way you can reheat your leftover fries is to use an air fryer.

You’ll need to place as much of the fries as you can in the air fryer basket without overcrowding it.

This is important to ensure that there’s enough space for the hot air to circulate properly.

You should air fry the French fries for around four minutes at 400℉.

After the first two minutes, shake the basket to make sure that the fries are being heated evenly.

In a Broiler

Finally, you can also try reheating your fries using a broiler.

Make sure to preheat the broiler at the lowest heat setting and place the fries as close to the broiler as you can.

You should preheat for five minutes and broil the fries for about four minutes.