As much as we may try to eat healthy, sometimes we all just crave some good old fashioned junk food.  If you’re like us that usually occurs sometime around 1 in the morning.  But time of day isn’t really that important.  The main point I’m trying to make is that when you do have that junk food craving, try to resist the urge to go out and buy the junkiest food from a restaurant or fast food place.  Because you can, actually make junk food yourself at home that, while not necessarily healthy, will certainly still be better for you than something you purchase out.

Homer Simpson is sometimes everyone’s spirit animal.

This brings us to loaded fries.  I will fully admit that some places have awesome loaded fries.  But there are also a lot of less than great loaded fries out there.  Between soggy, limp fries and questionable cheese sauces, ordering loaded fries can be very hit or miss.  Luckily they’re super easy to make at home.  And while they’re never really going to be good for you, when you make them yourself you have control over what all gets added to them, and that’s always a good thing.

First, obviously, you’re going to need some French fries.  You can use homemade fries or your favorite frozen fries.  If you’re using frozen, cook them according to the package’s directions and prep your other ingredients while they bake.  If using homemade you don’t need to bake them in the oven first, but if you cooked your fries in batches you may want to just toss them into the oven for a little to get them all up to the same temperature, since after this they won’t be in the oven for very long.

Loaded Fries:

• ½ bag frozen French fries or about 2 medium potatoes worth of homemade fries
• 2-3 strips of bacon
• 1 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar is most common, but you can use any good melting cheese you’d like)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced or diced
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp chives

While fries are cooking, cook the bacon (microwave will be fastest) and once cool, cut it into small pieces.  Once fries are done, set oven to broil.  Push the fries into a pile in the center of the baking sheet.

Top with the cheese and put under the broiler until just melted.

Add the bacon and return to under the broiler for another minute.

Removed from the oven and add the pepper,

then sour cream, and finally top with the chives.

Eat and enjoy!

This is our standard loaded fries recipe.  But considering making stuff at home is all about making it your own, you could easily swap in or out some ingredients to make it fit your own tastes and needs.  And they’ll definitely satisfy that junk food craving.  And if that won’t cut it, there’s always disco fries or disco rings.