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Cornflake-Crusted Cheese Frenchees

A Nebraska diner favorite gets a crisp cornflake shell, a soft melted-cheese center, and a quick shallow fry in a heavy skillet.

Golden cornflake-crusted cheese Frenchees sit beside tomato soup, with one triangle showing its melted cheese center.

Cheese Frenchees are built for contrast: soft sandwich bread and two cheeses sit inside a thin egg coating and a rugged cornflake crust. A measured skillet temperature gives the center time to melt before the outside gets too dark.

A diner sandwich with a crunchy jacket

The sandwich starts simply with cheddar and American cheese tucked between soft white bread. Cutting it into triangles creates more crisp edges and makes each piece easy to dip.

Build a coating that clings

A light dusting of flour gives the thin egg-and-milk batter something to grip, while coarse cornflake crumbs form the final shell. Letting excess batter drip away prevents gummy patches and loose crumbs in the skillet.

A hand presses a batter-dipped cheese sandwich triangle into a dish of crushed cornflakes before frying. — The cheese triangles are dusted, dipped, and pressed into a coarse cornflake coating before frying.

Let moderate heat melt the middle

Shallow oil makes it easy to watch the color and turn each triangle with tongs. Hold the oil around 325 F and fry in small batches, giving the cheese time to soften without scorching the cornflakes.

Choose a familiar dip

Warm the default tomato soup with its can of water until smooth and steaming, or choose ranch or ketchup as the alternate dip. Set the selected dip beside the Frenchees and serve them as soon as their short rack rest is over.

A split golden Frenchee reveals melted cheddar and American cheese beneath its crisp cornflake crust. — A crisp golden crust gives way to glossy cheddar and American cheese at the edge of a hot triangle.

Cornflake-Crusted Cheese Frenchees

4 sandwiches

35 minutes total

Ingredients

• 8 slices soft white sandwich bread
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
• 4 slices American cheese
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
• 2 cups neutral high-heat oil, or enough for a 1/2-inch depth
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Method

Fill the sandwiches
Lay out the 8 bread slices. Divide the cheddar over 4 slices, add 1 American slice to each, then close with the remaining bread and press gently to settle the filling.
Look for: Each sandwich has an even layer of both cheeses and no loose corners of bread.
Set up the coating
Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. Crush the cornflakes to coarse crumbs and spread them in a shallow dish; put the flour in a second dish for dusting.
Look for: The cornflake pieces are small enough to cling but still visibly crisp and coarse.
Mix the egg batter
Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and dry mustard in a wide bowl until no streaks of egg white remain; keep the mixture fluid rather than foamy.
Look for: The batter is smooth and thin enough to coat the bread without pooling.
Heat the skillet oil
Pour the neutral oil into a heavy 10-inch skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch and heat it over medium to 325 F. Adjust the burner to hold that temperature while coating the sandwiches.
Look for: A thermometer reads 325 F and a loose cornflake crumb sizzles steadily without immediately turning brown.
Coat the triangles
For each triangle, dust both faces lightly with flour, dip briefly in the egg batter, let excess drip back into the bowl, then press all sides into the cornflake crumbs. Coat only what fits in the first skillet batch.
Look for: The coating is even and dry-looking, with no heavy wet patches that could fall away in the oil.
Fry the first side
Lower the first batch of triangles into the 325 F oil without crowding and fry for about 2 minutes, adjusting the burner to keep the coating gently sizzling rather than rapidly darkening.
Look for: The bottom cornflake crust is crisp and light golden, not mahogany, before turning.
Turn and melt the cheese
Turn each triangle with tongs and fry the second side for about 2 minutes. Move the batch to a wire rack when both sides are golden and the cheese looks glossy at the seams; return the oil to 325 F.
Look for: The crust is crisp on both sides and melted cheese just begins to peek from an edge.
Fry the remaining batch
Coat and fry the remaining triangles in small batches, about 2 minutes per side, letting the oil recover to 325 F between batches. Drain every piece on the rack instead of stacking it, so the crust stays crunchy.
Look for: All triangles are deeply crisp and golden, with no coating turning dark before the cheese softens.
Prepare the dip
For the default tomato dip, stir the condensed soup and its can of water in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low until steaming, stirring smooth. If choosing ranch or ketchup instead, set out 1 cup of that dip and skip the soup and water.
Look for: The tomato dip is smooth and steaming but not boiling; cold ranch or ketchup is ready in a small bowl.
Serve while hot
Let the Frenchees rest on the rack for 2 minutes so the coating sets, then serve hot with the selected dip. Keep them in a single layer until they reach the table to protect the crisp cornflake crust.
Look for: The exterior stays crunchy while the cheddar and American cheese pull softly inside.