Who can resist a plate of crispy French fries covered with gooey, melted cheddar cheese? It’s a taste combination that few people can resist. And when you throw in the fact that some also add pieces of crisp bacon, jalapeño peppers, tomatoes, or chili, you have a bona fide people-pleasing dish that’s good for making during sporting events or on movie night with the family. It’s also something that can be enjoyed on National Cheddar Cheese Fries Day—a day that’s observed on the 20th of April every year.

The History of National Cheddar Cheese Fries Day

According to internet lore, National Cheddar Cheese Fries Day was invented in April of 2016. This is when Snuffer’s Restaurant—a Texas restaurant well-known for their cheese fries—started the holiday. They first started making these cheddar fries in 1978, and they feature Wisconsin cheddar cheese over hand-cut Idaho potato fries. This dish can be customized with bacon, chives, and jalapeños if the customer wants.

The Origins of Cheese Fries

It seems like the history of cheese fries isn’t as clear as we would like it to be. No one really knows for sure who the first person was to marry French fried potatoes and cheese. It was probably sometime between the mid-18th century, when people were frying up potatoes in Belgium, to the 1950s when Poutine was invented. Poutine is a dish made using French fries and cheese curds that is topped with brown gravy.

With the invention of canned cheese products in the U.S., cheddar cheese fries became popular during the 1950s. In Centre-du-Québec in Canada, several restaurants have claimed to be the originator of Poutine, but no one knows for sure who invented that dish.

The history of chili-cheese fries is also somewhat of a mystery. Some people claim that it was invented in Tomball, Texas, and other people believe that it was first served in Missouri. No matter who first served it, it remains a popular form of cheese fries to this day.

Modern variations of cheese fries include Philadelphia Pizza Fries, St. Louis Slingers (usually made with hash browns), New Jersey Disco Fries, and Irish Nachos (made with diced potatoes, cheese, tomatoes, and other ingredients).

Observing National Cheddar Cheese Fries Day

If you’re looking to observe this holiday, then you have a few options available to you. You can go to a restaurant that serves cheddar fries, or you can make your own version of cheddar fries at home. And just because the main ingredients of the dish at the center of this holiday are potatoes and cheddar cheese doesn’t mean that you can’t customize it to your liking. You can add bacon, chives, sour cream, chili, or just about anything else you want to this dish to raise it to the next level. No matter what type of cheddar cheese fries you enjoy, make sure you snap a picture of it and post it on social media using the hashtag #NationalCheddarCheeseFriesDay to show everyone your special creation.