The One Factor That Matters More Than You Think When Making Chili Cheese Fries

Sometimes the urge to eat a certain snack can strike out of nowhere. And salty, crunchy, soft-in-the-middle french fries are often at the top of the cravings list, especially ones loaded with toppings like chili and cheese. If you've got time for a fast food run, Chowhound has ranked fast food fries, and if you haven't tried them all, maybe it's time to put your favorites to the test. It's also always an option to simply grab a bag of frozen fries from the kitchen. And as our ranking of popular store-bought frozen fries reveals, there's a hierarchy there, as well.

When it's time to add your accoutrements at home, you could do a quick and easy upgrade to frozen fries with canned chili, but you need to be conscious of the most important factor — you don't want your chili too liquid-y. For advice on the subject of the best chili cheese fries made with store-bought ingredients, we consulted an expert. Chef Mark Slutzky, director of culinary at McCain, says you want your chili "to be spreadable enough to coat your fries, but not so wet that it makes them soggy." He also recommends using finely shredded cheese that melts quickly and easily over the potatoes. As for the chili, Slutzky says, "You can make your own chili from scratch (typically without using beans, for this type of recipe), but there is a time and place for a good canned chili, too." To fully prepare the perfect chili cheese fries, Slutzky gave us a little more advice.

First of all, you need to be aware when you're making frozen french fries, you may be doing it all wrong — you always need to start with a hot oven and cold fries. As for the ideal shape to use for chili cheese fries, chef Mark Slutzky says it's all about personal opinion. "It really ties into regionality and the type of fries you ate growing up," he says. In a survey his company commissioned, McCain found that people in the Northeast preferred straight cut fries in their chili cheese fries, while Western states tended to prefer waffle fries. The latter "can give your chili cheese fries more of a nacho feel," he says. "The only bad way to eat chili cheese fries is not to eat them at all."

When it comes to the thickness of the fries, Slutzky says he likes using battered or otherwise coated fries because they'll stay crisper, even when topped with chili. He said, "Thickness depends on personal preference and how you like to eat your chili cheese fries — straight-cut fries like McCain Extra Crispy Classic Fries are great for using a knife and fork, while waffle-cut varieties like McCain Seasoned Waffle Fries are better if you like to pick them up and eat them like nachos."

Regardless of your favorite store-bought french fry brand, if you follow a few tips from a potato expert, they'll stay crisp and crunchy under all that chili and cheese. Just make sure the chili you're working with is good and thick, and not too watery.