Chili Cheese Fries

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It’s an American classic. An institution. One could even say a rite of passage! That is, of course, none other than the amazing dish known as Chili Cheese Fries! Who doesn’t love a big bowl of these bad boys put in front of them to quench the mightiest hunger? Deliciously spiced and flavored Chili that is poured over fluffy, crispy French Fries and then topped with gooey, melty, American Cheese. It’s a warming, comforting meal that is great as either a side dish or a main course in its own right

How to make perfect Chili Cheese Fries

There are two main components to Chili Cheese Fries that require some degree of mastery to really nail this dish. Those are Chili, and Fries. You could add a third element which is the Cheese, however we’ve got a super-secret hack that makes perfect gooey, melty cheese instantly. More on that later though..

For both the Chili and the Fries component you can make these as epic or as simple as you like. It really depends on the occasion. 9 out of 10 times you’re making Chili, it’s going to be at home for some good old rustic cooking. For the Fries, likely 99 out of 100 times you’re making Fries, they’re going to come frozen, and out of a packet. Guess what, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that either! You do you!

Perfecting amazing tasting Chili

What I love about Chili is there is no ‘one’ recipe that defines it. It is a dish that completely transcends regions, countries, and cultures. Every part of the world has a variation of Chili, and they all taste amazing. This is our recipe for our classic homemade Chili, so please forgive us if we don’t follow the exact way they do it where you’re from. Side note, no – we don’t add Beans in our Chili!

Regardless of where it’s being made, and what ingredients are being used, the key to a good bowl of Chili is time. This is the kind of dish that cannot be rushed, and requires time in the pot for the flavors to mature

For the Chili in our Chili Cheese Fries, we use a classic combination of Ground Beef, Tomatoes, Vegetables, and a mixture of Spices. Like so many dishes, the recipe kicks off with cooking down a holy trinity of vegetables, Onions, Celery, and Peppers. I like to cut the vegetables up quite fine, so they blend into the overall texture of the Chili

Give the Veggies a good 10 – 15 minutes in the pan with a drizzle of Olive Oil to get them beautiful and tender. Before any sauces go in, add a load of chopped Garlic (I used 4 cloves!) and let it become aromatic. Garlic can burn easily which is why it goes in after the Vegetables have cooked. After 1 minute in the pan, it’s time to add the liquid

Time to add the Spices!

There are so many variations of spices you can include in homemade Chili. However, there are a few spices that are staples of the dish and in our opinion, mandatory inclusions. Those are a combination of Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and finally, Chili Powder of course! It wouldn’t be Chili without that!

In addition to the spices, you add a generous proportion of Salt and either regular ground Black Pepper, or Cayenne Pepper to really ramp up the heat (which we highly advise!). For all the spices it’s a good thing to have a heavy hand. For this recipe we’re using about 2 – 3 tsp. of each Spice

You can add a little less and then taste the Chili as it’s cooking down and add a little more. It’s always better to add less ingredients and add more later than add to much where you can’t change it!

Tomatoes bring the flavor and body to the Chili

Canned Tomatoes are the way to go for any kind of Chili Sauce or tomato-based sauce. They have a richer flavor as they have been concentrated in the canning process. You can get some great quality canned tomatoes too. We’re big fans of Mutti, but you can use whatever you like

I like to add a generous amount of Tomato Paste to the dish as well, about 2 tbsp. The Tomato Paste has a rich, sweet flavor which always pairs well when cooking with Tomatoes. We also added 1 cup of homemade Beef Broth. We highly recommend making your own Beef Broth at home instead of using any store-bought stuff

Here’s a great recipe to make your very own Homemade Beef Broth

Bring the whole mixture to a boil then drop the heat to low. Cover partially and allow to simmer for at least 1 ½ hours. If you have the time, I highly recommend allowing it to cook for longer. The more time on the stove, the more concentrated and tastier the Chili flavor will become. If you’re really organized, get the Chili on the stove in the morning and let it just simmer away all afternoon, filling the house with amazing aromas

Ok, onto the Fries

We’ve massive fans of French Fries at Dinnertime Somewhere. We spent ages perfecting our Crispy Homemade Fries recipe which you can check out here. If you want to make your own Chili Cheese Fries from scratch then definitely head over there to check out the key to making the perfect crispy fries

However, they are a labor-intensive process. Getting the perfect crisp on homemade fries is a 2-day process, and requires the Potatoes being frozen once cooked. TO make this dish we highly recommend simply buying some frozen Fries from the store

There’s plenty of good ones out there, so just shop around until you find a brand we like. You can use Shoestring Fries, Thick Cut Fries, or even Wedges to make our Chili Cheese Fries. It really doesn’t matter at all. Just fire them up in the Oven or Air Fryer until golden brown and crispy

How to get gooey, melty Cheese for your Chili Cheese Fries

Ever wondered how that gooey, melty, ridiculously luxurious cheese that is slathered over Chili Cheese Fries and Nachos can be made at home? Well, look no further than here. We’ve got you covered!

The secret to making melty, stringy, gooey Cheese is simply to rip up a few slices of American Cheese into pieces and nuke it in the microwave with a little bit of Milk. That’s it! Nothing fancy is needed. American Cheese is the only cheese to use in Chili Cheese Fries, and this technique guarantees the best texture imaginable

Chili Cheese Fries love Cheese. So, we recommend using quite a lot in this dish. You’ll probably need at least 6 slices of Cheese for a big bowl of Cheese Fries feeding 4 people. Just get a big pack and if you need a few more, it’s a good 20 – 25 seconds in the microwave and you’re set

You can never have too much Cheese on Chili Cheese Fries, so our advice – be very generous!

Chili Cheese Fries Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. Ground Beef
• 2 lbs. Frozen Fries (or homemade version here)
• 1 cup Beef Broth (recipe here)
• 800 ml / 27 oz. Canned Tomatoes
• 3 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 2 Celery Stalks, finely diced
• 1 Yellow Onion, finely diced
• 1 Red or Green Bell Pepper, deseeded and finely diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, diced
• 2 Scallion Stalks, finely chopped
• 3 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 3 tsp. Cumin Powder
• 2 tsp. Chili Powder
• 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 3 tsp. Salt
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 6 slices of American Cheese
• 1 tbsp. Whole Milk
  
  

Instructions

1. Heat the Olive Oil in a large Dutch oven or Pot over medium heat, then add the Celery, Onion, and Bell Peppers. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring often until tender. Add Garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant
2. Add Tomato Paste, Paprika, Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cayenne Pepper, and Salt and mix well to combine. Cook the Spices and Tomato paste for about 2 minutes then add the Beef Broth and Canned Tomatoes
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer for 2 – 3 hours (the longer you simmer, the more concentrated the flavor). Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary once done
4. Prepare the Frozen Fries as per the package instructions, or you can make your own from scratch by following our recipe here. Once cooked, lay Fries out into a large bowl
5. Heap a generous spoonful of Chili over the top of the Fries and then sprinkle with chopped Scallions
6. Tear the American Cheese into small pieces and place in a microwave safe container along with the Milk. Microwave for 20 – 25 seconds, stir well, then immediately pour over the Chili Fries. Serve immediately
   
   

Recipe Notes

• We recommend spending at least 2 hours cooking the Chili however for a more concentrated and richer flavor, cook it for 3 ½ hours on low, partially covered
• You can serve individual plates of Chili Cheese Fries (good for a side dish), or family style as a main course
  
  

As far as hearty and tasty dishes go, few are as satisfying as a big bowl of these delicious Chili Cheese Fries. This dish serves as a great side, or even better as it’s own main course. However you enjoy your Chili Cheese Fries, we recommend diving in immediately!

If you enjoyed this recipe here are a few others we recommend you try:

• Crispy Duck Fat Potatoes
• Greek Fried Cheese – Saganaki
• Nacho Fries
• Cauli Mac and Cheese
  
  

Happy Cooking!