Easy Loaded Bacon & Cheese Fries Recipe
Loaded bacon and cheese fries or “cheesy fries” as they are known in our house is one of my favorite stand by’s that has a permanent place in my recipe arsenal. Homemade cheesy fries are so easy to put together and everyone loves them! Fries, melted cheese, bacon, and ranch…what’s not to love??
I really love when I can cook “restaurant food” at home that’s just as good or better, plus waayyyy cheaper! This is one of those recipes for me along with a super simple, creamy pasta sauce that I make way too often and this delicious loaded Mediterranean hummus that’s a favorite from a local Lebanese place.
Not that I eat them all together but they’re all restaurant favorites that are so easy and delicious to make at home for a fraction of the cost. And healthier, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Ingredients For Loaded Cheesy Fries:
- 1 bag of frozen fries – waffle fries are our preference
- 8 oz of grated cheddar cheese – we like extra sharp
- 7-8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- jalapeño peppers for topping
- green onions, sliced
- 1 recipe ranch dressing
How To Make Bacon And Cheese Fries:
- Bake fries according to package directions and your preferred crispness.
- Remove fries from oven and top them with your grated cheese.
- Add Jalapeño peppers if using and sprinkle crumbled bacon on top.
- Return to oven and bake or broil until cheese is melted. {I like letting the cheese start to crisp a little}
- Remove from oven and top with green onions.
- Enjoy dipped in ranch dressing!
Loaded Bacon And Cheese Fries
Ingredients
- 1 bag of frozen fries - waffle fries are our preference
- 8 oz of grated cheddar cheese - we like extra sharp
- 7-8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- jalapeño peppers for topping
- green onions, sliced
- 1 recipe ranch dressing
Instructions
- Bake fries according to package directions and your preferred crispness.
- Remove fries from oven and top them with your grated cheese.
- Add Jalapeño peppers if using and sprinkle crumbled bacon on top.
- Return to oven and bake or broil until cheese is melted. {I like letting the cheese start to crisp a little}
- Remove from oven and top with green onions.
- Enjoy dipped in ranch dressing!
What Kind Of French Fries Work Best?
Our favorite fries to make loaded cheesy fries is hands down waffle fries. They have all of those holes for the cheese and toppings to melt down into and the toppings are less likely to fall off when you grab some to eat.
That being said, any type of fry will work. I do personally think thicker fries like crinkle cut or steak fries work better than a skinny fast food style fry that won’t individually hold much topping. I wouldn’t hesitate to use any fry that I had on hand even tater tots, but my favorite will always be waffle fries.
Are Cheesy Fries Healthy?
Well…no. Not exactly. They’re loaded with cheese and smothered in ranch dressing so they’re pretty calorie dense. But since they’re homemade, you can definitely do things to lighten them up and make them healthier.
One of the ways making homemade loaded cheese fries healthier is that you can bake the fries instead of frying them like restaurants do. With all of the toppings, you won’t even notice a difference and they are much lower in the trans fats that come from the common frying oils.
You also have complete control over the quality and the quality of your ingredients. Which means you can even choose organic if your budget allows and have a much healthier version that the local eatery!
>>> Get the homemade ranch dressing recipe that we dip our cheese fries in<<<
Can You Reheat Loaded Cheese Fries?
Left overs are a staple in our home. So much so that I make meals that are much bigger than what we need so we can have leftovers in the fridge without me having to cook every day. So can you reheat cheesy fries? We do!
While any variety of loaded french fries are undeniably best straight out of the oven, you can reheat them as long as you don’t expect them to be quite as good as the first time. You’ll get the best results by reheating any type of fries in the oven. Microwaving french fries is a major no go in our house. The texture suffers so badly that they end up being tossed to the dogs.
So to reheat your homemade cheesy fries, simply put them on a pan and bake at 350º until warm. They’ll probably come out a bit crunchier than they originally were. You can also cover them with some foil if they’re already a little crispier to keep them from burning on the top. The main thing is just not to cook them for too long. You want to just heat them through but not over do it since they’ve already been baked once already.
You Might Like These Other Recipes:
Homemade Ranch Dressing Or Dip Recipe
Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Recipe
Have A Great Day!
Thank you so much for stopping by today. It means so much to me to have you here caring what I have to say! Be sure to check out my YouTube channel for my blog content in video format and come visit me over on Instagram. I’m not the best at posting regularly over there on IG but I’m always stalking around.
Please feel free to share to Pinterest and FaceBook. Your help sharing and getting my content out into the world is so huge! It’s the only way to make this dream of mine a reality!
Pin It To Your Favorite Board:
I’d love curling up on the couch with these and a movie! Yum.
That’s usually what we do. They make a great movie night treat!
Rachel, YUM!! It’s so true – why go out to eat when your’e better at making food at home?! Loved the video!!
I know right? It’s so expensive and many times not even really cooked, just warmed and plopped on a plate. We can do better than that!
Thank you for stopping by!
My girls will love this recipe. We are big on potatoes around here. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
You’re welcome! It’s definitely one of our favorites!
These look so good and I know my husband and boys would devour them!
I know mine does for sure! We always make plenty because they go so fast.
Yum! I think my boys would love these!
My brothers devour them when they come over!