Chris at Blog Well Done inspired (instigated? dared?) me and Elle of Elle’s New England Kitchen (one of my regular co-conspirators in gastronomic excess) to concoct Loaded Fries for a first-ever #GoJunkFood extravaganza in hedonism.

For my first offering, I enlisted (however unwittingly) a group of my friends who came over Saturday night to playtest MJ’s new boardgame (shhhhh!). I wasn’t quick enough – or sneaky enough – to get photos of what they put together, but it was a great excuse to do the deed, right?
Really? You want a recipe?

Chili Loaded Fries

Mixed white potato and sweet potato fries

1 recipe of your favorite chili

Your favorite chunky salsa

White cheddar cheese sauce

Sour cream

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For a crowd, I recommend you get frozen fries. They bake up in about 15 minutes in the oven, and no grease mess.

Here’s the chili recipe I used… Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone they weren’t eating meat! Heehee!

For the White Cheddar Cheese Sauce:

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 stick butter
Approx. 3 cups milk (your choice)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Approx. 3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour till smooth and just starting to bubble. Add the milk and whisk until thoroughly combined and bubbling.

Add the salt and pepper. Begin whisking in the cheese, a handful at a time, continuing to whisk until melted and completely blended.

Taste your sauce. Not cheesy enough? Add more. Too thick? Add more milk. Whisk completely after each addition and make sure it’s bubbling before making any further adjustments. You want a super-cheesy, pourable consistency. The whole process shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.