Today I’m showing you how I make my Air Fryer Loaded Pizza Fries. Thick cut russet potatoes with a sprinkle of pepper, parsley, chilli flakes, bread crumbs and olive oil, baked in the air fryer for the perfectly crisp fry on all sides! Layer on the “meat” sauce, homemade cheese sauce, plant-based pepperoni and cashew cream sauce for the TASTIEST loaded fries. You will be physically incapable of having just one bite, and why would you want to! With so much mouth-watering flavour packed onto each fry, you will want to add this to your weekly recipe list!
We begin by cutting the potatoes into thick slices, leaving the skins on! I’m personally a fan of doing it this way for the texture and rustic look. But, if you feel the need to peel them, I won’t tell! Now comes the part with all the flavour… start with tossing the fries in a large bowl with your spice mixture. For me, a good fry recipe means the perfect balance of spices and crispy texture. So adding the pepper, parsley, chilli flakes for a little heat, and bread crumbs for that crunch is key! And let’s be honest, there’s not many things a little bit of bread crumbs can’t make better!
Next, we head over to the skillet to prepare our vegan meat sauce. I prefer the Beyond Meat “beef” crumble, but feel free to use whatever brand you like. It’s not like it was years ago when tofu was the only option. Having all these brands doing amazing work in the plant-based community is a much needed breath of fresh air. Once the “beef” crumble is nearly cooked, add in the marinara, grated vegan cheese, coconut milk, and basil to simmer. Once thickened, remove from the heat and you’re ready to get cracking on the super simple cashew cream sauce!
You can’t have a little taste of Italy without the overpowering aroma of garlic… so I’ve made sure to add plenty! Toss the cashews into your high speed blender, then add the water, cloves of garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, and parsley. If you don’t have a Vitamix and you prefer not to have small chunks of cashews in your sauce, you can soak the cashews overnight or boil them in a pot of hot water for 10 minutes to soften them and make it easier to blend smooth. Once combined, you are ready to assemble the finished product!
Save this next part for last so that it stays as fresh as possible before you chow down! In a medium pot, add your brick of vegan mozzarella “cheese”. I used a local brand here in Halifax, but most vegan cheeses will melt similarly with enough stirring and added liquid! Once combined with your non-dairy milk, let simmer on a low heat until you’re ready to use. Now you are ready to assemble the finished product!
Here comes the fun part: start by throwing your fresh crispy fries into a casserole dish (I used a ceramic loaf pan), and be sure to lay down some parchment paper beneath to limit any mess! Then layer on top as much “meat” sauce as you like (I personally add as much as will fit into the dish). Lastly, layer on your cheese sauce, veggie pepperoni and the cashew cream sauce to top it all off!
Print
Air Fryer Vegan Loaded Pizza Fries
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings
Description
Thick cut russet potatoes, spiced and air fried until crispy, with “meat” sauce, cheese sauce, plant-based pepperoni and cashew cream drizzled overtop.
Ingredients
- 4 large Russet potatoes
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 package (453g) of vegan ground “beef” crumble
- 1 jar (24 oz/750 mL) of marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup vegan cheese shreds
- 1 tbsp basil
- 200g vegan cheese
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 8 slices vegan pepperoni
Instructions
- Wash and cut potatoes into long, thick fry shapes.
- Add fries to bowl with oil, pepper, parsley, chilli flakes and bread crumbs. Toss to coat.
- Add to air fryer basket and cook on 375 F – 400 F for about 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until crispy and golden brown.
- Meanwhile, bring a skillet to medium heat and add vegan “beef” crumble, until nearly cooked through.
- Add marinara sauce, coconut milk, basil, vegan cheese shreds and, stirring to combine, and simmer until slightly thickened. Remove sauce from heat and set aside.
- To a medium sized pot, add your plant-based milk and cheese block; stir until combined and thickened. Leave on lowest heat setting to keep warm until ready to serve.
- To a high speed blender, add cashews, garlic, water, and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth and combined.
- Layer fries, “meat” sauce, cheese sauce, pepperoni and cashew cream sauce into serving dish. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
There’s a step or 2 missing, no mention of an air fryer used and cooking the fries… 🙃
Omg hahaha, fixed!!!