Super Duper Cheesy Bacon Fries

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while you prepare the potatoes. Blanch the potatoes in the boiling water for 4 minutes. Strain the potatoes in a colander and rinse them with cold water to wash off the starch. Dry them well with a clean kitchen towel.
2. Pre-heat the air fryer to 400ºF.
3. Place the chopped bacon into the air fryer and air-fry for 4 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking process. Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the grease from the bottom of the air fryer drawer.
4. Toss the dried potato sticks with oil and place them in the air fryer basket. Air-fry at 360ºF for 25 minutes, shaking the basket a few times throughout the cooking time to help them cook evenly. Season the fries with salt and freshly ground black pepper midway through cooking.
5. Transfer the French fries from the basket to a 7- or 8-inch (whatever will fit your air fryer) baking pan or casserole dish. Mix the 2 cups of the Cheddar cheese with the melted cream cheese. Dollop the cheese mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar cheese over the potatoes and then top with the cooked bacon crumbles. Lower the baking pan into the cooker using a sling made of aluminum foil (fold a piece of aluminum foil into a strip about 2-inches wide by 24-inches long).
6. Air-fry at 340ºF for 5 minutes to melt the cheeses. Sprinkle chopped scallions over the fries and serve in the baking dish with ranch dressing on the side.