How do you take a food truck and carnival classic and transform it into home fare? Simple. You put Chef Lisa on it and she creates these off-the-charts delicious Texas Chili Cheese Fries—a meal in itself. Spice-coated, crispy baked (not fried!) French fries are smothered in a ribbon-winning, hearty homemade chili, sprinkled with sharp cheddar cheese and finished with a spicy pico de gallo (tomatoes and jalapeños and parsley!) fresh salsa.
Ingredients:
Beef Chili
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1½ lbs ground beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
¼ cup tomato paste
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup salsa
1 (19oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Oven-Baked Fries
6 large russet potatoes, skin on, scrubbed clean
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pico De Gallo
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Direction:
For the chili, in a small bowl, mix together chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Set aside. In a large pot, brown ground beef over medium-high heat, stirring to break up the meat. Drain off the fat and set beef aside. Using the same pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, red and green peppers, stirring about 5-6 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Add tomato paste and the seasoning mix and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes, salsa, kidney beans, and browned beef. Lower heat to a simmer and cook covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
For the fries, preheat oven to 425ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut baking potatoes into ½-inch thick matchsticks
. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, chili powder, paprika, and pepper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake 30-40 minutes, until golden and crisp, tossing a few times during cooking.
For the pico
de gallo
, combine tomatoes, jalapeno, parsley, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl. Toss to combine, and refrigerate until ready to use.
To assemble, preheat broiler to high. Place fries on an oven safe dish, top with chili and sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over top. Place under the broiler to melt cheese. Remove from oven, top with pico
de gallo,
and serve immediately.
(Serves 6-8)
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