Do you want some Chili Cheese Fries?

Today I had this craving for chili cheese fries. Ick. I was also thinking about how sick I would feel if I ate them. Then I created this recipe in my head and had to try it when I got home from work.

The result was an intensely spicy, complex pile of deliciousness that filled me up, but didn't make me sick. I did the nutritional analysis and it's actually a healthy recipe! What do you know. Here's the recipe and some pics of my cooking:


Lizzy's Chili Cheese Fries

Serves 2.

2 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 medium yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 Serrano pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
2 Roma tomatoes
1 can of pinto beans
1/2 cup water
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup shredded Colby jack cheese
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper


1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Scrub sweet potatoes and slice into long spears, about 1/8" thick. I like to leave the skin on.


3. Place sweet potatoes in a large Ziploc bag. Add 2 tsp olive oil, a dash of kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin. Shake to toss. Pour out on to lightly oiled baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.


4. Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large saute pan on medium high heat.

5. Chop onion and add to oil. While onion is cooking, mince garlic, seed and chop the Serrano pepper and chop the red bell pepper. Add to onion and cook until all vegetables are tender. Season vegetables with a dash each of salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin.


6. Chop tomatoes and add to vegetables. Cook down until tomatoes are dissolving into the vegetables, about 5 minutes.

7. Drain and rinse pinto beans. Add to vegetables with 1/2 cup water. Add in remaining chili powder and cumin and an additional dash of salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook over medium high heat. Occasionally smash some of the beans with the back of your spoon or spatula and stir to thicken the chili. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes, until liquid evaporates and chili has reached desired consistency.

8. Pile 1/2 of sweet potato fries on each plate. Spoon 1/2 of the chili mixture over each pile of fries and sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese. Let sit for 2 minutes or so, so the sweet potatoes can absorb some flavor and the cheese can melt.


9. EAT!

Per Serving: 438 calories, 12 grams fat, 69 carbohydrates, 17 grams dietary fiber, 18 grams protein.