Name: Cheese Frenchees
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Cuisine: US & Canada
Ingredients: 1 1/2 sleeves Ritz crackers (50 crackers), pulsed in food processor to coarse crumbs; 2/3 cup milk; 2 large eggs; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 8 slices hearty white sandwich bread; 6 slices deli American cheese; 3–4 quarts peanut or vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

King’s Food Host, a popular restaurant chain in the '60s, won many devotees with Cheese Frenchees. For the crunchy coating, we opted for Ritz crackers, which fried up nice and crunchy. It was important to refrigerate the sandwich quarters after we spread the mayonnaise on the slices and coated them with the crackers. This gave them time to set.

Before You Begin

This recipe didn't specify a brand of cracker, but we like Ritz here. Try dipping the sandwiches in ketchup—a Frenchee fanatic told us that's how she ate them growing up in Oklahoma.

Instructions

ASSEMBLE SANDWICHES Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread cracker crumbs in shallow dish. Whisk milk and eggs in medium bowl. Spread mayonnaise on 1 side of each slice bread. Arrange 1½ slices cheese on 4 slices bread and top with remaining 4 slices bread, mayonnaise side facing cheese. Cut each sandwich diagonally into quarters. One at a time, dip sandwich quarters into egg mixture, then coat with cracker crumbs, pressing to adhere. Refrigerate on prepared baking sheet until set, about 1 hour.

FRY SANDWICHES Pour oil into large Dutch oven until it measures 2 inches deep. Heat oil to 375 degrees over medium-high heat. Fry half of chilled sandwich quarters until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining sandwich quarters. Serve.