Cotija Sweet Potato Fries

My husband and I recently returned home from a little weekend getaway to Newport Beach, CA. Sometimes life needs a little refresh button to get you energized again. That was exactly what this weekend was. No pressure to cram as much in as we could. Just relaxing, unwinding and basking in the California sun.

I grew up in Southern California and fell in love with the Newport area, so its no wonder I picked that for our destination of choice for this getaway. While there, we made it our goal to find local, unique-to-the-area places to eat. Those are the best kinds after all, right?!

We stumbled upon this incredible place called, Eat Chow. The service there was exceptional and the portion sizes were very generous, which is fabulous for a husband that loves to eat, and eat a lot! I ordered a side of the Sweet Potato Fries and oh. my. gosh. It was love at first bite. They were special because they had Cotija cheese on them which gave them such a unique and delicious flavor. If you are visiting or live near the Newport area, I encourage you to try out this restaurant! This post is not sponsored in any way, just someone who took it upon herself to find the local favorites and try them out for myself.

(For those wondering where you find Cotija cheese, most grocery stores carry it next to the refrigerated mexican food. By the horchata, rice pudding and the likes of it. There you will find Mexican cheeses, one of which is Cotija. And the flavor is AMAZING!)

Okay, back to the story. As soon as I tried their sweet potato fries, I knew I HAD to recreate it! I mean- when something tastes that good, how can you live hundreds of miles away, which in turn makes it near impossible to get to the restaurant soon enough to fulfill that craving? So naturally, I made my version and it tastes pretty dang close and is incredibly delicious!

These fries will be all the talk of the evening! You definitely have to give these a try!

Cotija Sweet Potato Fries from chef-in-training.com ...These will be THE BEST sweet potato fries you will ever eat! They are packed with delicious flavor and are super addictive!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Cotija Sweet Potato Fries
 
The Cotija cheese really makes these Sweet Potato fries unique and delicious! They will be the hit of the evening!
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Ingredients
  • 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon salt depending on taste
  • ½ cup Cotija cheese
  • olive oil to coat, approximately ¼ cup
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Slice Sweet potatoes into ¼x1/4 inch thick wedges.
  3. Coat sweet potato slices lightly with olive oil.
  4. Combine garlic powder, pepper, salt and Cotija cheese together in a large bowl. Toss in oil-coated sweet potatoes and cover to coat them with seasoning.
  5. Spray two 18x13 inch cookie sheets with cooking spray. Evenly distribute sweet potato slices in a single layer across the cookie sheets.
  6. Bake at 450 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until cooked to desired doneness.
  7. Remove and let cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets before trying to remove.
  8. Sprinkle with additional cotija cheese for presentation.

Enjoy!

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #chefintraining and/or #chefintrainingblog. I would love to see how these recipes take shape in your kitchens.

Filed under: appetizer, side-dish

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe

Comments

  1. Mir

    I've never had sweet potato fries with cheese before! Gotta try this. It looks so good, Nikki!

  2. Darlene

    I love sweet potatoe fries and can't wait to make your version. I love unique versions of an already great idea!

  3. Zila Hillgrove

    I love your website and all your recipes! I check your blog daily. So todya when I read this entry I had to chuckle a little bit because I'm pretty sure it Cotija not Cojita. :)

    1. Chef in Training

      oh my goodness! Thanks for catching that! All fixed now :)

  4. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    Glad you guys had a nice little getaway. Love Newport. And I hope you got some good shopping in too :) Cojita makes everything better. These look incredible! Pinned :)

  5. Chels R.

    Love this kind of cheese and Love sweet potato fries! Perfect combo!

  6. Jennie V

    5

    I never thought to add the cotija cheese! Great idea! I like to add a little cumin and cayenne pepper to the potatoes and then after they've cooked, sprinkle with lime juice and chopped cilantro. The cotija cheese will be a great addition! Thanks for sharing :)