Doin' Some Cookin'... Kimchi Fries

I'm a food truck junkie and happened to stumble upon Chi'lantro BBQ here in Houston, Texas one weekend downtown. Ordered their tacos and kimchi fries. While the tacos were good the kimchi fries were ah!mazing!! Absolutely crave worthy!!

One afternoon a craving hit for their fries after coming across a blog post about the top Houston food trucks and their food truck made the list. I'm always down for any excuse to get out of the house, especially to satisfy a craving, however, it was rainy and cold. I do not like to weather the poor drivers here in poor driving conditions. So I went without.

While the fries baked in the oven I crisped up some bacon and caramelized the kimchi. Making this was torture. It smelled so good and looked fantastic. Each component on it's own is divine.

Whenever trying a new recipe I like to have a back up dinner plan, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Little Man are always on hand. Tonight, I stopped at JoJo's Asian Bistro and picked up some... knowing I had a Plan B just in case these fries didn't turn out.

But they turned out amazing and worth the time spent cutting my own fries.

... and I am so excited to share this recipe with you.

These kimchi fries make for the perfect movie snack or a dinner on their own... I have no shame.

Kimchi Fries

Adapted From: The Woks Of Life

Makes 2 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 russet potatoes, cut into fries
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 slices of bacon, diced
• 2/3 cup kimchi
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

And Action:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place fries on a baking sheet that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Toss with olive oil, paprika, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Bake 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes to make sure they brown evenly. 

While the fries bake, crisp the bacon. Once cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add kimchi to the bacon fat along with the sugar and stir fry until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set heat to low until ready to assemble the fries.

In a baking dish sprinkle half the cheese over the fries. 

Spread the kimchi mixture over the top and top that with the rest of the cheese. 

Broil for 1-2 minutes until melted. Top with bacon and scallions, if desired. Enjoy!