Event Collection / Game Day & Watch Party / Recipe 001

Hot Honey Queso Chicken Waffle Fries

A mountain of crisp waffle fries under smoky chicken, warm cheddar queso, pickled jalapeños, scallions, and hot honey.

Hot Honey Queso Chicken Waffle Fries served for a watch partyGame day recipe · 001
Yield8 servings
Time40 minutes
FlavorSmoky · creamy · sweet heat
01 / The formula

What goes in.

Everything you need to build this crowd-ready game day bite.

01

Base and chicken

  • 2 lb frozen waffle fries
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
02

Queso

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 6 oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
03

Finish

  • ¼ cup pickled jalapeño slices, drained
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp hot honey
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro, optional
02 / The process

Make the play.

Finish the hot and crisp elements close to serving time.

  1. 01
    Heat oven to 425°F. Spread waffle fries in a single layer across two baking sheets. Bake 25–30 minutes, flipping and swapping the pans halfway through, until deeply crisp.
  2. 02
    Meanwhile coat chicken with oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sear in a skillet over medium-high heat 5–7 minutes per side, until the thickest part reaches 165°F. Rest 5 minutes and dice.
  3. 03
    Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Whisk in flour for 1 minute; slowly whisk in milk. Simmer 2–3 minutes until lightly thickened. Turn heat to low and stir in cheddar, cream cheese, and cumin until smooth; do not boil.
  4. 04
    Pile hot fries on a warm platter. Scatter chicken over them, spoon on queso, then add jalapeños, scallions, and optional cilantro. Drizzle with hot honey and serve at once.
03 / Game day presentation

Bring it to the table.

Keep the fries and toppings separate until guests arrive. Spread on a preheated tray, add hot queso at the last moment, and serve with forks.

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Recipient: $Devottisfoodlabs