Vegan chili cheese fries

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 1 pack of french fries, frozen, approx. 1 kg
• 1 pack of veggie mince, approx. 200 g
• 200 ml plant drink
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 pack of grated cheese substitute, approx. 200 g
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• ½ tsp paprika powder, hot
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• Oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Preheat the oven to 200°C (top/bottom heat). Brown the veggie mince in a pan with a little neutral oil and set aside. Spread the fries on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack according to the package instructions. Bring the plant-based milk to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly. Once boiling, remove from the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast. Add half the package of grated cheese substitute and return to the stovetop, stirring constantly. Gradually add the rest of the cheese substitute and, once melted, remove from the heat. Season with paprika and cayenne pepper. Depending on how spicy you like it, you can of course add more cayenne pepper. If you are not satisfied with the consistency, stir in more nutritional yeast or plant-based milk to create a nice, thick sauce for gratinating. About 5 to 7 minutes before the end of the baking time, remove the fries from the oven and spread the veggie mince over them. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over them. Then return the baking sheet to the middle rack and bake until golden brown. Note: If you like, you can also sprinkle the finished chili cheese fries with spring onion rings or chili flakes. Since I can’t stand a lot of heat, this recipe is still quite mild.