The Best Way To Reheat Leftover French Fries

Fry or die.

As part of HuffPost’s “Reclaim” project, HuffPost Taste will focus the entire month of July on simple ways you can reduce food waste in your own home.

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It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes we have leftover fries. They’re usually just a sad reminder of what once was, never to return to their former glory. In other words, cold fries are the worst. And it’s really hard to reheat French fries to make them good again ― forums have been written about it. But it is possible, and you should never throw them out. You just have to be willing to fry them again.

We’re not talking deep-frying. You don’t need vats of oil. Just a couple of tablespoons, a good skillet (preferably cast iron) and medium-high heat. Cook them until they’re warmed through and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t ― we repeat ― don’t overcrowd the pan. You don’t want to risk steaming the fries into a soggy mess.

This method is definitely worth the effort. And once you’ve done that, consider topping your reheated fries with some fresh herbs, spices, cheese or guacamole. Or all of the above. Here are some ideas:

1
Lebanese Spiced French Fries
Heather Christo
Get the Lebanese Spiced French Fries recipe from Heather Christo
2
Baked Chili Cheese Fries With Bacon And Ranch
Baked Bree
3
Herb Salted Garlic Parmesan French Fries
How Sweet It Is
4
Tijuana Street Fries
Half Baked Harvest
Get the Tijuana Street Fries recipe from Half Baked Harvest
5
Garlic Cheese Fries
Damn Delicious
Get the Garlic Cheese Fries recipe from Damn Delicious
6
Cheesy Cajun Fries With Grilled Corn Guacamole, Bacon And Fried Eggs
Half Baked Harvest
7
Loaded Buffalo Blue Cheese Fries
My Life As A Mrs
Get the Loaded Buffalo Blue Cheese Fries recipe from My Life As A Mrs
8
Crispy Buffalo Oven Fries
How Sweet It Is
Get the Crispy Buffalo Oven Fries recipe from How Sweet It Is
9
Steak And French Fry Salad With Blue Cheese Butter
Half Baked Harvest
10
Mexican Poutine
Rebecca Lindamood | Foodie with Family
Get the Mexican Poutine recipe from Foodie with Family
11
Double-Baked Fries With Garlic Cheese Sauce And Bacon
Half Baked Harvest
12
Vegetarian Poutine
Flourishing Foodie
Get the Vegetarian Poutine recipe from Flourishing Foodie
13
Garlic Butter Sweet Potato Fries With Creamy Feta Dip
How Sweet It Is
14
French Fry Bourbon Burgers
Half Baked Harvest
Get the French Fry Bourbon Burgers recipe from Half Baked Harvest
15
French Fries With Debris Gravy And Cheese
Tillamook
16
Sweet Potato Fries With Gouda Sauce
Healthy Food For Living
Get the Sweet Potato Fries with Gouda Sauce from Healthy Food For Living
Take Action Now
Join thousands of Americans calling on Walmart to help reduce food waste by mounting a comprehensive campaign to sell "ugly" fruit and vegetables.
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Language in the petition embedded in this entry has been updated to reflect Walmart’s recent efforts to sell some “ugly” produce in the U.S.

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