French fries kept frozen are delicious. They are even better during a late-night outing. On their own, though, there is a homogeneity and blandness that may become somewhat boring. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to dress them up.
For instance, dousing frozen french fries in truffle oil brings them to life. But if you want something effortlessly epic when the hunger strikes, look no farther than your cabinet; that chili can has been sitting for months.
The formula couldn't be more straightforward: You are cooking chili, melting cheese, baking or air frying French fries. Add extra ingredients (jalapeños, onions, red bell peppers, etc.) if you so want.
The beauty is that most fast-food chili cheese fries are not very elegant. In most restaurant versions, you can practically taste the unique sweetness of canned chili and the finger-licking fakeness of the cheese sauce, hence in some respects the homemade version is an authentic reproduction.
Nobody truly invented chili cheese fries, it appears. A cursory internet search reveals a type of merry-go-round of interlocking references each mentioning Dairy Queen, both with reference to Don A. Jenkins (Texas) or Austin Ruse (Missouri), neither of which origin narrative given a date.
At Dairy Queen at least by the mid-1970s, you could hack chili cheese fries (and still can). By 1975, frozen chili cheese fries supposedly were sold in supermarkets. Frozen french fries originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s; canned chili first appeared in the 1920s.
Still, you can fix them right now. You are in charge of proportions; extra toppings are up to you; although, we have some ideas. Most recipes call for big fries—like Grown In Idaho ultra crispy crinkle cut fries.
Ordering the larger seasoned fries from the breakfast menu of the restaurant is worth even if Wendy's famous chili is upgraded. Although frozen fries taste exactly like McDonald's, the thin, crispy ones are just too thin to adequately convey the beans and pork to your gullet.
Our reviewer also advised against Roots crinkle cut fries since this store-bought choice is expensive and uninteresting. If you avoid dairy or cut out cheese entirely, your chili-slashed fries will still taste fantastic. Soy cheese works beautifully. Particularly late at night around friends.