January 07, 2014 January 07, 2014/ Morgan
I have to tell you.. this post is SO HARD FOR ME TO WRITE. Why? Because the pictures are making me starving! I want to eat this all over again! I might just make some more… yum.. Oh now my stomach is growling, great.
Alright with that confession out of the way let’s get down to business. These are vegan plant strong chili cheese fries. That is just an amazing thing anyway that we can make such yummy foods as vegans, isn’t it? It’s all oil free, nut free, baked not fried yummy awesome… chili cheese fries. YES!
I had to quickly post two other recipes for this one – the chili and the chili cheese sauce. Now we make those, bake up some crispy seasoned fries and get busy! Busy eating it, that is. Because really, I am so so hungry.
While this looks crazy indulgent, it is actually part of my Get Skinny Again in The New Year plan! HA! Isn’t that awesome? Yeah somehow I can eat things like this and the crazy good Double Chocolate Berry Overnight Oatmeal Parfait and still lose weight every week. Thank you Dr. McDougall, Jeff Novick and most of all… thank you potatoes. Haha!
What else should I tell you? The family LOVED this, of course. I LOVED this. And I’m betting you’re going to be excited about these as well! NOW GET COOKING! (They’re really not hard and it’s so.. SO… SOOOO GOOOD!!!)
You will need the following:
- 1 batch Easy 3 Bean Veggie Chili – recipe here (or your favorite chili)
- 1 batch of Vegan Chili Cheese Dip – recipe here
- Russet potatoes – my rule is to have 1 large potato per person or 2 small/medium. You can’t have too many fries!
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Fun garnishes: cilantro, green onions, avocado, salsa, sliced black olives, sliced jalapenos, hot sauce, chopped tomato, etc!
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat non-stick baking mat. Wash your potatoes and peel them if you want to. Then cut them into steak fries/ thick cut fries (about the width of a woman’s finger? Work with me here, people! haha!) Toss with the chili powder and salt. Spread into a single layer and put them into the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes. I start to check after 15 minutes and then every 5 minutes after that. Recently I discovered that I don’t even need to flip them for them to turn out good. I just wait until they start to lightly brown in spots on the tops and sides and then I know they are done!
Once they’re done, top them with the chili and cheese dip (make sure they are both piping hot!) Then throw your extras on top and serve. Grab a drink, crash on the couch and ENJOY!