In-N-Out Animal Fries – Trader Joe’s Style

In case you missed it, I teased a fun new recipe, in my Trader Joe’s Food Finds – March 2021 post and I just couldn’t wait more than a few days to share it with you all. The minute I saw Magnifisauce in the store, my wheels started turning about recreating In-N-Out animal-style fries.

Now, I want to claim that I only used Trader Joe’s ingredients to create this recipe, but that just wouldn’t be true! Does Trader Joe’s sell all of the ingredients I used? Absolutely! But here in the Peiffer household, we purchase sharp cheddar cheese by the giant block at Smart & Final. Trust me when I say that we definitely indulge in Trader Joe’s fancy cheeses, but for a simple sharp cheddar that we seemingly eat by the pound, I just need the best value possible.

If you’ve never had In-N-Out (I’m looking at you, many of my midwest friends), you need to experience the goodness that are animal style fries from the convenience of your own home. Though, it would be fun if you came out to visit us (post-pandemic). We’d be happy to treat you to the real deal 🙂 These fries are cheesy, saucy, and just plain delicious. Notice, I didn’t claim that they were healthy in any way 😉

There really isn’t much to them. Just bake some frozen fries, chop and cook some onions, melt some cheese, drizzle some sauce, and voila! I really do think that Trader Joe’s hit it out of the ballpark with their Magnifisauce, and I just love being able to enjoy one of my favorite fast food luxuries without leaving my home. I hope you enjoy!

xoxo

Jennifer

In-N-Out Animal Fries – Trader Joe’s Style

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Craving In-N-Out fries? Look no further than this quick and easy dupe to recreate your fast food favorite from the comfort of your own home.

Ingredients

• 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1/4 Cup Yellow Onion

• 1/2 Bag Trader Joe’s Frozen French Fries

• 1/3 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese (sliced or shredded)

• 2 TBSP Trader Joe’s Magnifisauce (plus extra for dipping!)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking oil. Spread frozen french fries evenly in a single layer. Once the oven has preheated, place fries in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes.
• Finely chop the onion (the smaller the better). Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions to the pan, and turn the heat down to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 15-20 minutes, until onions are looking slightly brown. It’s okay to cook them for longer and/or at a higher heat if you prefer crispy onions. Just be careful not to burn them!
• Remove french fries from the oven, and transfer to a microwave-safe plate. Layer cheese over the top of the fries, and microwave on high for 30 seconds, or until cheese has fully melted.
• Carefully remove the plate from the microwave. Evenly sprinkle onions over the top of melted cheese. Drizzle Magnifisauce over the top.
• Enjoy your fries with a burger meal or by themselves! Don’t forget the napkins, and to sit down with some extra sauce for dipping if desired 🙂

Notes

• If you like your fries extra crispy, add a few extra minutes onto the bake time. Broiling at the end is also a great way to add some crispiness and color!
• When cooking onions on the stove for this length of time, you will probably need to open a window to spare your eyes 🙂