Healthy Vegan Chili Cheese Fries

These Vegan Chili Cheese Fries are layers and layers of flavor. They are perfect for a game-day party, and healthy enough to eat as a weeknight dinner!

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: These saucy, spicy, crispy-edged Vegan Chili Cheese Fries that look like they would send you into the food coma to beat all food comas, are healthy. One more time to really let that sink in, healthy.

There is not a single ingredient in these fries that is even remotely bad for you. Nothing, nadda, zip.

As in we can eat these fries anytime we want and feel good about it. No feeling overfull, no guilt, no bloat. Just crave-able Vegan Chili Cheese Fries that you can enjoy each and every bite of.

There is a secret to good Vegan Chili Cheese fries, and it's not fat, oil, or salt. There is no transformative ingredient or recipe secret. We just build flavor in every layer. The fries should taste phenomenal all by themselves, the chili should be able to stand alone for dinner, and the cheese sauce had better be good enough that you want to eat it off the spoon. Repeatedly.

Then when everything comes together in the perfect bite, it is flavor heaven.

How do you make healthy chili cheese fries?

These Vegan Chili Cheese Fries all start with a potato. A fried potato without oil.  Once our potatoes are cut, we rinse them in cold water to remove excess starch and coat them in a flavorful spice blend. This rinse and coat creates a crispy fry without adding any oil. No extra oil, no extra fat, no extra calories.

Then these crispy, creamy, golden fries get topped with chili. Chili that is made of whole beans, rich tomatoes, and spices.  It is based off of a version I developed as a freelance job, that has been tweaked and tested to perfection. It is a hearty and filling chili that is still saucy enough to coat every nook and cranny of the fries with irresistible flavor.

Finally, the holy grail of chili cheese fries. The cheese sauce. This cheese sauce is also one that I created for a freelance job - a video series on Skillshare all about healthy vegan comfort foods. The sauce is creamy, rich and thick enough to stick to the chili fries. This cheese sauce is made of VEGETABLES! Yes, vegetables. Carrots and potatoes get cooked until tender and creamy and then blended with some cashews into this smooth cheese sauce.

If you tried my Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole, this is the same sauce. With one batch of this cheese sauce you have enough cheesy goodness to make both these recipes. You're welcome.

Velveeta Smel-veeta.

Healthy Vegan Chili Cheese Fries

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• Author: Laurel
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 65 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Description

These Vegan Chili Cheese Fries are layers and layers of flavor. They are perfect for a game-day party, and healthy enough to eat as a weeknight dinner!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the fries:

• 3-4 large russet potatoes, cut into fries
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the chili:

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoky paprika
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon honey OR agave

For the cheese sauce:

• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• ½ cup cashews, soaked overnight
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons garbanzo bean miso (or mellow white miso if not soy-free)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• Pinch white pepper
• Pinch salt

To garnish (optional):

• Sliced scallions
• Fresh or pickled jalapenos
• Cilantro
• Vegan sour cream

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Instructions

For the chili:

1. In a large pot or Dutch Oven, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add in the diced onion and salt. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
2. Add in the tomato paste, chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin and paprika. Saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Add in the tomato sauce and 1 cup water. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Check on the chili a few times to make sure it is not becoming too dry. Add in up to ½ cup water if needed.
4. Once the chili has simmered, add in the beans. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Add in the honey and stir to combine.

For the fries:

1. While the chili is simmering, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking tray with a silicone baking mat. Rinse the potatoes with cold water and pat dry. Sprinkle the fries with the seasoning and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer on the pan. Bake until crispy, about 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

For the cheese sauce:

1. While the fries are baking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in a big pinch of salt and the potatoes and carrots. Boil until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and set aside. Strain the potatoes and carrots and add to a high speed blender.
2. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and the ½ cup of reserved water. Blend until smooth.

To assemble:

1. Arrange the fries on your serving tray of choice. Top with ladles of chili and drizzle with cheese. Garnish with scallions, jalapeños, and other toppings of choice.

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Notes

• To cut down on cooking time, both the chili and cheese sauce can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for several days. When you are ready to serve the Vegan Chili Cheese Fries, make the fries according to the directions and reheat the chili and cheese sauce in pots on the stove. Medium heat should work like a charm.
• This recipe makes more than enough chili and cheese. You can have the chili as a bonus weeknight dinner and use the cheese sauce to make this Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole.

Keywords: black bean, bean, kidney bean, cheese sauce, cashew, cashew cheese, nutritional yeast, garlic onion, Fall, Winter, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, yukon gold, potato, yellow potato