The Effortless Way To Flavor Frozen Fries With Your Steak Dinner

Have you ever been so focused on perfecting your main dish that you realize you completely forgot about the sides? Whether it's a side salad, roasted veggies, or fries, boosting your side dish's flavor doesn't have to be a hassle.

To learn how to effortlessly flavor frozen fries, Food Republic turned to chef and influencer Dan Pelosi, who recently partnered with McCain Foods to promote regenerative farming. According to Pelosi, the secret to flavoring your fries for a steak dinner might be something you're unknowingly tossing out: steak juices. "My favorite thing is to get a nice steak, cook it, slice it, and just pour all that juice and the steak on top of a mound of fries," he explained. "Heaven, heaven, heaven."

The key to this hack, however, is to ensure your steak is nice and juicy, so you can flavor the fries without completely wringing the steak dry. Pelosi explained how a reverse sear provides crispy, juicy results, but he also uses another approach. "I would say my most classic method is a couple of smashed cloves of garlic, some butter, perhaps some rosemary, maybe a cut-up shallot."

As the steak cooks, he noted, you baste it with the herby, garlicky butter, which also flavors the fries when poured over them. It's also just as important to rest your steak after it's fully cooked — Pelosi suggested ten minutes before slicing — in order to redistribute the juices and keep it moist.

Not all frozen fries are created equal. In order to get maximum flavor, the first step is to choose the right frozen fry shape. While you can't really go wrong with over 30 different types of french fries, it's best to choose a thicker fry with lots of surface area (like steak fries), so the juices can soak in without making the fries too soggy. Or, opt for a shape with lots of nooks for the juices to sit in (like a waffle fry or crinkle cut fry).

Once you choose your shape, it's also important to know how to cook your frozen fries properly. Since you're pouring juice over your fries, or even serving your steak on the top of your fries, it's best to get them extra crispy first. For crispy frozen fries, ditch the baking sheet and opt for cooking them on a hot oven rack instead. The air fryer is also a great tool to cook your frozen fries, just don't forget the important step of shaking the basket halfway through to get even, crispy results.

You also don't have to rely solely on the steak juice to flavor your fries. Add classic seasonings like salt and pepper, or season your fries with Old Bay Spice mix for an extra savory kick. Finish off with some fresh herbs and flaky sea salt before digging in. The best part? Dan Pelosi noted that you can cook things simultaneously; as you cook your steak, "fries are in the oven."