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When you can't get to In-N-Out for their Animal Fries (with caramelized onions + melted cheese!), try our copycat version—what culinary staffer Jeanette Donnarumma likes to call her Wild-Style Fries.

"Whenever I'm out on the West Coast, I always get my fix, but [In-N-Out has] something that's called Animal-Style Fries, which is on their secret menu. We all need a cheat day from time to time, right? Well, fries are my vice. My crispy, crunchy, cheese-and-onion-and-dressing-covered vice. Happy cheat day indeed!" –Jeanette

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Shoestring Oven Fries with Balsamic Ketchup

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 medium to large white onions, finely diced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 16 ounce size bag frozen shoestrings fries, baked or fried to golden brown
  • 6 slices American or Cheddar cheese, from the deli
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons dill relish
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider or white distilled vinegar

Yield

Serves: 6 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.
 
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and stir to coat them evenly with oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook onions until caramel in color, stirring often to make sure they don’t burn, about 15-20 minutes. If at any point the onions look like they are too dry or burning, pour a splash of water in the pan and stir.

 
While the onions cook, place cooked fries on a small baking sheet or oven-safe platter. Top the fries with the cheese slices and place in the oven to melt the cheese, about 3-4 minutes.
 
In a small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
 
To build the wild-style fries, top melted cheese with wild-style sauce and top sauce with caramelized onions.