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Chili Cheese Fries

Chris Hennes

By Chris Hennes
in Food Traditions & Culture

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Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted

I had chili cheese fries for lunch at a new place near my office, Coneys and More. They were great, but it was hard for me to pin down exactly what I loved so much. The fries there are excellent, so that's a good start, but honestly the chili by itself is nothing to write home about.

 

What makes good chili cheese fries? Or is that an oxymoron?

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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Shelby

Shelby

Posted
Posted (edited)

Definitely good fries.  Nice, thick cut ones that aren't mushy.  Waffle fries are good, too.

 

And, good cheese.  Sharp cheddar that is good and melty.

Edited by Shelby (log)

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Lisa Shock

Lisa Shock

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Posted

I think it has to do with contrast. And the sum of the parts being greater than the whole. (my preference is for green chile cheese fries: just pureed green chiles topped with melted cheese) You start with a french fry which is crisp, salty, and starchy. The chili offers silky moisture to the dry centers of the fries, as well as an acidity with a little spiciness which plays off the fat in the fries, and a little sweetness and chew from the meat (maybe some sauteed onion adding sweetness) and a big, big dose of umami. Get them topped with a little raw onion, and you've added crunch, sweet, and a little bit of bitter. So, you wind up with the classic formula for a great dish with components bouncing off the major taste receptors (including that newly discovered fat receptor). On paper, the formula is similar to the interaction between fries and ketchup, but more complete.

Have you read eGullet's Kitchen Scale manifesto?

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Darienne

Darienne

Posted
Posted

Hmmm...never had them.  Actually, I've never even heard of them.  Maybe they aren't in Canada??? 

 

I do like Poutine but don't eat it.  Just seems too wicked for an old lady.

 

We are off to Ohio for the weekend but is Ohio a place to find Chili Cheese Fries?  We'll be at a fairgrounds on Friday.  Maybe that would be a place to find them.  Had my first Funnel cake at an Ohio fairgrounds many years ago and my first Pulled Pork sandwich at another Ohio fairgrounds about five years ago (and it did change my life).  This is a third Ohio fairground this year.  Who knows?

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

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Posted

Hmmm...never had them.  Actually, I've never even heard of them.  Maybe they aren't in Canada??? 

 

I do like Poutine but don't eat it.  Just seems too wicked for an old lady.

They're in Canada. I'm in Canada and I like chili cheese fries... but I don't like poutine.

 

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

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And Tri2Cook, where do you buy them?  They are probably in my neighbourhood, but I don't know where.

I probably should have provided full disclosure on that one, they are only available where I live because I make them. So I actually have no idea where in Canada they can be purchased. At I restaurant where I used to cook, where I had more freedom with the menu than I do now, I usually ran them as a co-special at lunch on days when I made chili. I've never seen them anywhere else locally but they always sold well. I still occasionally make them at home when I have leftover chili, though I try not to do it too often.

 

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Darienne

Darienne

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Aha!  I am not surprised at all.  Good for you.

I just spoke to the friends we are meeting at the fairgrounds and she is certain I'll be able to buy chili cheese fries there.

 

And as for Poutine.  Sometimes it's terrible...and sometimes it's delicious.  Actually that's exactly what my Ohio friend said about the chili cheese fries.  I am hoping for delicious.  But then the Funnel Cake should help make up for any problems in the fry area.  It's only once a year.   :blush: 

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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cyalexa

cyalexa

Posted
Posted

My favorite rendition actually is just fries, cheese, and bacon. Specifically, Eskimo Joe's "world-famous" cheese fries, bacon version. They have a version with chili but I have not had it. The fries are fairly thick, made from skin-on fresh potatoes, thoroughly cooked so many are crunchy. The cheese is a generous layer of melted grated real cheese. The bacon is a sweet peppered style. I think Lisa was accurate and eloquent in her description of why the combo is so good. Although the owner is a friend, I rarely visit this restaurant as it is generally full of college students. On the rare occasion I go, generally with an out-of-town friend that has heard of the place, I get a plate of aforementioned fries and a real, made from ice cream, chocolate shake as my meal. A true indulgence.

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suzilightning

suzilightning

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Posted

As far as my understanding goes here is the comparison:

 

Chili Cheese Fries                                                  Poutine                                                             Disco Fries(shout out to New Jersey and Long Island)                    Frito Pie

good crisp fries well salted                                     good crisp fries well salted                               good crisp fries well salted                                                                frito corn chips

chili without beans                                                  brown gravy                                                     brown gravy                                                                                       chili

grated cheddar cheese                                           cheese curds                                                    grated mozzarella                                                                             melted Velveeta with Ro-tel tomatoes

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   minced onion and jalapenos

Nothing is better than frying in lard.

Nothing.  Do not quote me on this.

 

Linda Ellerbee

Take Big Bites

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Lisa Shock

Lisa Shock

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Yeah, for me, Frito pie was always Fritos, chile (red or green), grated cheddar, grated white onion, pickled jalapeno slices. (you always got to serve yourself the cheese, onion and jalapenos from a toppings dispenser) I have never seen Frito pie serves with a melted cheese. (and I own the official Frito recipe book)

 

Velveeta and R-Tel heated together is the Suzy-homemaker version of queso dip.

Have you read eGullet's Kitchen Scale manifesto?

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

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Posted

I'll stick to the chili cheese fries, I don't like Fritos... with or without the other stuff. And I'm with Chris on the tomato thing, I don't want tomatoes on my chili cheese fries.

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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suzilightning

suzilightning

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Posted

I'll have to take issue with the tomatoes on the Chili Cheese Fries in that table. Raw onions, perhaps, but no tomatoes for me.

Who said there were tomatoes on the Chili Cheese Fries?  There is no tomato in chili that I know of...

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Nothing is better than frying in lard.

Nothing.  Do not quote me on this.

 

Linda Ellerbee

Take Big Bites

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suzilightning

suzilightning

Posted
Posted

Yeah, for me, Frito pie was always Fritos, chile (red or green), grated cheddar, grated white onion, pickled jalapeno slices. (you always got to serve yourself the cheese, onion and jalapenos from a toppings dispenser) I have never seen Frito pie serves with a melted cheese. (and I own the official Frito recipe book)

 

Velveeta and R-Tel heated together is the Suzy-homemaker version of queso dip.

Lisa,  isn't that the Suzi-homemaker version.

 

Hey, got you all talking didn't I?? :raz:

Nothing is better than frying in lard.

Nothing.  Do not quote me on this.

 

Linda Ellerbee

Take Big Bites

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gfweb

gfweb

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Posted

Velveeta and R-Tel heated together is the Suzy-homemaker version of queso dip.

 

Velveeta and ro-tel is the official version of queso dip. Chef-y variations weaken it.  Like when a serious restaurant does their take on a cheesesteak...always crappy.

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Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

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Who said there were tomatoes on the Chili Cheese Fries?  There is no tomato in chili that I know of...

Ah, I see, the post formatting doesn't like the size monitor I am on, the tomatoes were getting wrapped around from the "melted Velveeta with Ro-tel tomatoes" in the Frito pie. So we are agreed!

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

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Ah, I see, the post formatting doesn't like the size monitor I am on, the tomatoes were getting wrapped around from the "melted Velveeta with Ro-tel tomatoes" in the Frito pie. So we are agreed!

Must be the same problem I had. It was pretty jumbled on my screen so I just assumed others who were responding got a clearer picture of it than I did.

 

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Darienne

Darienne

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Posted

We are back from Ohio and I chickened out on the Chili Cheese Fries.  But a good thing I did.  Ate a pulled pork sandwich, which was not at all excellent, and suspect that the CCF would have been a great disappointment.   So it will have to wait until the next visit to the USA.

 

If I might be allowed...at the fairgrounds I did have a Pumpkin Spiced Funnel Cake and I thought I'd died and gone to Funnel Cake heaven.  And that was good! :wub: :wub:

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Okanagancook

Okanagancook

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I am unfamiliar with his dish..Canadian eh.

After googling around for info I have a couple of questions.

So, you make the fries, home made or frozen. Make sure they are thick cut and crispy on the outside.

The chili is made with meat only..your fav recipe. heat it up

The cheese is a sharp cheddar (this would be my preference), grate it.

Once the fries are ready, top with the chili (but how much), maybe some crumbled bacon, grated cheese.

Bake at 350 or is it 375 until the cheese is melted. Should it be put under the broiler for a short time for some browning.

Serve with choices of white, red and/or spring onions, pickled jalapeños

Sounds like something for the upcoming Gray Cup....Canadian Super Bowl

Thanks

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

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Posted

I don't go to all that trouble when making them for myself. I just toss some cheese on the hot fries and dump some hot chili on top. The cheese melts in between.

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Lisa Shock

Lisa Shock

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Posted

It's served at many fast food places; an easy recombining of ingredients they already sell in other forms. (Wendy's, Sonic) So, at some places it's frozen fries topped with canned chili and cheap orange cheese.

 

Google images gives a pretty good idea of what it should look like, don't worry about proportions, and I have never seen anyone bake/broil it. (the cheese isn't usually browned, if it were, it might be too hard to eat with a shell of cheese that might come off all at once) It's a big portion of fries with cup of chili poured over and a light handful of grated cheese tossed on top.

Have you read eGullet's Kitchen Scale manifesto?

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Darienne

Darienne

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Posted

Okanagancook, those fries look incredible.  :wub: :wub:

 

I see the cheese and the jalapenos.  What are the crunchy-looking brown bits.

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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