Chili Cheese Fries
Chili Cheese Fries, a delicious party snack that can also serve as a meal, consists of crunchy French fries topped with flavorful chili and a creamy homemade cheese sauce.
Servings: 8
Calories: 869kcal
Ingredients
For The Fries
- 32 ounces regular or steak-cut frozen french fries
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For The Chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 15 ounces canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry basil
- salt and black pepper, to taste
For The Cheese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
For The Toppings (optional)
- sour cream
- sliced green onions
- chopped jalapenos
Instructions
For The Fries
- Preheat your oven according to the instructions on the packaging of the frozen French fries. Bake the fries until crispy and lightly golden brown.
For The Chili
- While the fries are baking, prepare the chili. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, and sauté for a few minutes until the onion is softened. Then, add the ground beef to the skillet and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until it is browned, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir in the kidney beans, diced tomatoes (with the liquid), tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, white pepper, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Reduce the heat and let the chili simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
For The Cheese Sauce
- In the meantime, prepare the cheese sauce. In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat.
- Add the heavy cream, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin to the saucepan, stirring until well combined.
- Gradually add the shredded cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese to the saucepan, stirring constantly until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Once the fries are done baking, transfer them to a large serving dish or individual plates.
- Pour the chili over the fries, spreading it evenly to cover them.
- Drizzle the cheese sauce generously over the chili and fries.
For The Toppings
- If you want, top the chili cheese fries with dollops of sour cream, sliced green onions, and chopped jalapeños for added flavor and garnish.
- Serve the chili cheese fries immediately.
Notes
- Crispy Fries: To make sure the fries are crispy, bake them in a single layer and flip or turn them halfway through the cooking time. You could also air-fry the fries to get them super crispy.
- Adjust the Heat: You can control the spice level of the chili by adjusting the amount of white pepper, and adding cayenne or jalapeno for extra heat.
- Veggie Options: You can also make this dish vegetarian! Just use your favorite meat substitute, whether that’s additional beans, potatoes, tofu, etc.
- Toppings: Feel free to customize the toppings to your liking. Diced avocado, chopped bacon, or a drizzle of hot sauce are all scrumptious.
- Serve Hot: Serve the chili cheese fries immediately, while they're still hot and the cheese sauce is gooey and melty.
Nutrition
Calories: 869kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1789mg | Potassium: 1087mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1535IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 501mg | Iron: 5mg