Chili "Fries"

Why do I crave chili on 96 degree days? No idea, but it's so good. All the time. This is another one of my perk-up-the-leftovers ideas, so you can start with any chili you have hanging around (probably not much this time of year), but here's mine (approximately) in case you are just venturing into the chili cooking world:

Serves: a bunch! (approx. 10-12 one cup servings) and freezes & reheats well.

1 lb lean ground beef (in my opinion- as lean as you can afford!)

1 can black beans, rinsed (approx. 15 oz.)

1 can kidney beans, rinsed (approx. 15 oz.)

1 can corn, drained (approx. 15 oz.)

1 can diced tomatoes (approx. 28 oz.), flavored if you like

1 can crushed tomatoes (approx. 28 oz.), flavored if you like

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/3 onion, white or yellow, diced

3 garlic cloves (the little sections), diced

a little olive oil

a little chili powder or McCormick chili seasoning packet (seriously, I'm a McCormick commercial)

In a large pot heat oil. Add garlic, saute for a couple of minutes. Add green peppers and onions, saute a few more minutes. Stir often to keep garlic from burning. Add ground beef, breaking it apart to crumbles. Cook until ground beef is browned. Add tomatoes, beans, and 1/3- 1/2 McCormick packet or chili seasoning to taste and stir to mix well. Let simmer for 30 mins or so. When it comes to chili, in my opinion, simmering is good. So if you have to add some water to allow things to simmer longer, I say go for it. But clearly I feel like you should do whatever you want in the kitchen :). About 10 minutes before you are done simmering, add corn and stir to mix everything well. I never thought to put corn in all my years of living in Indiana (the corn state), but a year into NC I was adding corn and loving the "fresh" taste it adds! This, by the way, will make a lot of chili.

Now you can stop here and dig in! Delicious, especially topped with sour cream and guacamole. (Guacamole? Yes! trust me!)

OR, you can make it awesome. Here's how:

For each serving thinly slice 6-8 ounces of potato into circles/coins (russet and Yukon are both good). For each serving pour in about 1/2 tsp of olive oil and mix around until potatoes are lightly coated. Shake seasoned salt, garlic salt or powder, and black pepper over potatoes. Mix around and repeat the seasonings. I suggest using a Tupperware with a lid for all this pouring/mixing/shaking stuff. Once potatoes are well seasoned, bake them on a baking sheet (covered with foil but NOT sprayed with cooking spray) in a 400 degree oven. If you sliced yours as thin as mine, 10 minutes will be good. If they're thicker, cook longer! Go ahead and test one, their delicious on their own. A few will get crunchy/crispy, but most will still be soft/tender. This is why I call them "fries" not fries.

Once potatoes are done you are ready to assemble. The ideal dish for this is a wide bowl. Layer in the potatoes (for each individual serving). Top with hot chili (about a half serving of what you'd want if you were just eating chili). Add on top of this sour cream and guacamole (Yes, the guacamole!), and cheese if you like. Dig in. This is comfort/sweatpants/football watching food if ever there was any! And yet I've made it, measuring serving sizes and leaving off the cheese, for a Weight Watchers Points Plus value of my typical dinner. And you will be full. Try it, love it, make for friends. Even if it is 96 degrees out.