Cheesy Chips (Bacon and Cheese Loaded Fries)

Making Cheesy Chips is always a fun experience. It's one of those recipes that is so simple, but the outcome is always delicious.

These bacon and cheese loaded fries are perfect for sharing with friends and family. I always make a large batch because they tend to disappear quickly!

Very popular with adults and children. Often found served in pubs, food stalls and fast food restaurants, they are the perfect comfort food.

They are very quick and easy to make and affordable when feeding a large crowd. It is easy to adjust the ingredients to suit your taste.

How to Make Cheesy Chips

Press the button below to jump straight to the recipe to see how to make this cheesy chips recipe. Read on for more advice.

Or jump straight to what you need to know?

Jump to:

• How to Make Cheesy Chips
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Optional Extras
• Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• 📖 Step by Step Recipe
• Storage instructions
• More Comfort Food Recipes
• 💬 Reviews

Ingredients and Substitutions

Cheesy chips, also known as loaded fries, only require a few ingredients.

I will go into more detail with suitable substitutions and some optional extras below.

Chips / Fries

Usually made with frozen oven chips or french fries, but you could use any potato cut: potato wedges, curly fries, Parmentier potatoes or even sweet potato fries would work well.

Or instead of using frozen oven chips, make homemade cheesy chips from scratch. See our advice for making chunky air fry chips, then finish them off with cheese and bacon in the oven.

Bacon Lardons

Bacon lardons are the perfect addition. I like to use smoked bacon lardons because they add a delicious smoky flavour and crispy texture.

Bacon lardons can be substituted with finely chopped air fried bacon or pancetta if you prefer.

Cook them to your preference, we like them extra crispy!

Grated Cheese

You could use any type of grated cheese you like: Mozzarella, mild cheddar, mature cheddar, parmesan, gouda, swiss, American.

I usually go for mozzarella because it melts so well and adds a lovely mild flavour on the cheesy fries that everyone enjoys. The kids love to see who can get the biggest cheese pull, and everyone on Instagram loves the pictures too!

Don't be afraid to experiment with different types of cheese to find the perfect one for your needs.

A spicy option like Pepper Jack or Mexicana would be perfect for those who like a bit of a kick.

Blue cheese is not to everyone's taste but would work well if you are catering for a more sophisticated palate, crumble it on top.

You may prefer to make a creamy cheddar cheese sauce to add on top of the cooked chips. See our cheesy pasta recipe for how to make a cheese sauce.

Chives

I love to sprinkle chives on mine because they add a lovely fresh flavour which compliments the cheesy fries perfectly.

Finely chopped onions or spring onions would also work if you don't have chives. Or if you have fussy children, leave out the 'green bits'!

Optional Extras

You can add some extra flavour to these easy cheesy chips, try sprinkling hot fries with curry powder, smoked paprika or garlic powder. Give a shake in the baking sheet, before adding the grated cheese.

Make cheesy chips hot and spicy by adding some jalapenos or fresh chillies. Or with some chill flakes.

Instructions

So, you want to make some cheesy fries? Well, you've come to the right place!

First, cook your frozen chips or fries in a pre heated oven according to the packet instructions. Cooking time will vary depending on the chips you are using.

I normally cook it for longer than suggested to make it extra crispy, as no one likes soggy chips!

While those are cooking, fry up some bacon lardons until they're nice and crispy.

Once the chips are done, sprinkle them with mozzarella or cheddar cheese, then add the bacon lardons on top.

Bake them for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

And that's it! Serve immediately, with chopped chives and a generous sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper.

Serving Suggestions

The best way to serve cheesy chips is hot! Straight from the oven, still on the tray, give everyone a fork and watch them tuck in.

(If you have little ones who don't understand that the baking tray is hot then please serve theirs out on a serving plate!)

Ideal for a simple fast dinner, lunch, or supper with a pot of ketchup, mayonnaise, English or dijon mustard, or BBQ sauce.

For the ultimate comfort food, serve these cheese and bacon loaded fries with a big bowl of homemade chilli con carne.

Our kids love cheesy chips with air-fried sausages and beans.

For the adults, serve with a nice rump steak and a simple side salad and some tasty garlic bread on the side

📖 Step by Step Recipe

Storage instructions

If you have any leftover cheesy chips (we never do), they can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Simply place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge.

Then reheat them on a baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes (at 200C/400F) until hot and crispy.

More Comfort Food Recipes

Check out some of our other delicious recipe ideas if you love comfort food.

We would love to hear what you do to add extra flavour to our cheesy chips recipe in the comments below. If you love cheese and bacon you will love these Greggs style turnovers.