2D's Toots--Really, Really Good Chili Fries

To heck with “fancy schmancy”, pretentious “foodie” fare. Occasionally we like to get decadant with a super easy dish that is incredibly bad for you but which is just flat out tasty.

I call it 2D’s Toots. I named it after my daughter and one of her favorite “activities”. Her name is Susan and long ago her brother only being 2 years older couldn’t pronounce Susan. His word was Suzu which for some reason I shortened to Toodie but have always chosen to spell “2D”. And toots—for obvious reasons. This dish will give a good case of them!

This is also incredibly cheap to make which is fine for me because, as some of you may know, I’ve been unemployed for almost 5 months. Weekly trips to the dollar store are now part of our regular shopping. I love being able to pull together a meal, full of flavor and (most of the time) healthy. I’m always trying to get a meal on the table for a buck a person and sometimes I can even do it. 2D’s Toots is one of those dishes which we now do as a main dinner course (kind of an “anti-gourmet” thing) and if you start off with a salad it can almost be nutritious.

2D’s Toots is just good old-fashioned, “homemade” chili fries.


2D’s Toots
4 medium potatoes each cut into 8 wedges
1 15oz. can of no-bean chili (bought at the dollar store)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
3 or 4 good glugs of canola oil (enough to lightly coat the ‘taters—Glug is a Jamie Oliver term)
Spices

Preheat Oven to 425
Cut potatoes into wedges and put into a large bowl. Put 3 or 4 good glugs of canola oil in the bowl—just enough to be able to toss the potatoes in the oil and lightly coat them.

Season the potatoes. Use either a mix of salt, pepper & garlic powder or a spicy blend like Essence of Emeril or just a bit of chili powder, cayenne and salt. Your choice. How much spice to use? Enough.
Mix by hand to coat potatoes with oil and spice.

Arrange in one layer on a pre-heated cookie sheet and put in oven for about 12 minutes. At 12 minutes remove from oven and turn/flip each fry. (I use tongs to try and avoid sticking). Put back in oven for another 10 minutes then turn oven off with potatoes still inside.

Empty chili into a bowl and microwave on high until heated. About 3 minutes. (We also like to add just a bit of habanero sauce to the chili to kick things up).

Remove fries from oven and put on a platter. Cover fries with chili and sprinkle with the cheddar. Use more or less cheddar depending on how “gooey” you want it.

This can feed 2 or 3 as a main course or can be an appetizer for 4-6.

Enjoy. It’s gooey. It’s good. It’s an indulgence that will remind you of your favorite drive-in.

That's the Cheap Bastid Way: Eat Good, Eat Cheap, Be Grateful!