The Canned Staple That Takes Frozen Fries From Good To Great

Frozen french fries are fine. They're even better after a late night out. But on their own, there is a sameness and blandness that can get a bit monotonous. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to dress them up. Dousing frozen french fries in truffle oil elevates them, for example. But if the hunger hits and you want something effortlessly epic, look no further than your pantry, where that can of chili has been sitting for months. Grab a bag of frozen fries, a can of chili, and a bag of shredded cheese (or jar of cheese sauce), and you're set.

The recipe couldn't be simpler: You're baking or air frying French fries, heating chili, and melting cheese. If you want, you can add other ingredients (jalapeños, onions, red bell peppers, etc). The beauty is that most fast food versions of chili cheese fries aren't much fancier. You can almost taste the distinctive sweetness of canned chili and the finger-licking fakeness of the cheese sauce in most restaurant versions, so in some ways it makes the homemade version an authentic reproduction.

It seems no one knows who really invented chili cheese fries. A quick internet search unveils a sort of merry-go-round of interlocking citations each naming Don A. Jenkins (Texas) or Austin Ruse (Missouri), both involving Dairy Queen, and neither origin story assigned a date. You could hack chili cheese fries at Dairy Queen at least by the mid-1970s (and still can). Frozen chili cheese fries were allegedly available in stores by 1975. Frozen french fries date back to the late 1940s and early '50s, and canned chili hit the scene in the 1920s. So it's likely the first person to combine frozen french fries, canned chili, and cheese did it between about 50 and 70 years ago.

But you can make them right this second. Proportions are up to you, as are extra toppings, but we have a couple of suggestions. Most recipes recommend large fries, like Grown In Idaho super crispy crinkle cut fries. Even when upgrading Wendy's famous chili, it's worth ordering the larger seasoned fries from the chain's breakfast menu. While you can make frozen fries that taste just like McDonald's, the thin, crispy ones are simply too slender to carry the beans and meat properly to your gullet. You should also avoid Roots crinkle cut fries, as this store-bought option is pricey and bland, according to our reviewer. Soy cheese works fine if you're avoiding dairy, or eschew cheese altogether and your chili-slathered fries will still taste great. Particularly late at night with friends.