This post first appeared over at Real Housemoms where I’m a contributor.

Cheesy Chipotle Fries smothered in a super spicy chipotle pepper sauce and melted Monterey Jack cheese make for a great finger food appetizer!

I never liked spicy much until I got pregnant with my first daughter. I didn’t like anything that had been pickled either, but something magical happened when I was growing my first perfect little human and among all the other magical happenings of motherhood, my tastebuds changed for the better! That is exactly why I had never experienced Chipotle peppers until well into my thirties. And, oh, what a find!

Chipotle peppers are spicy, as in S P I C Y ! A little goes a very long way. I’m always amazed at how such a very small amount can just set my mouth on fire. That is the exact reason that I cooked the fries in a small amount of sauce. That, and the fact that I wanted the fries to still cook to a slight crisp. I added just enough sauce so that if I had just stopped there, they would have been outstanding spicy fries. What happens next is just magic.

I made an a additional sauce with sauteed onions and garlic, because who doesn’t love onions and garlic? I also added some honey and lime juice to help tame and balance the heat. Now, this sauce was added sparingly to the fries at the very end of cooking and then covered with cheese to really add a KA-POW to each bite. You can add as much or as little as you like. I didn’t want to burn a hole in my stomach, so I added a little and left the rest for my husband to use as a dipping sauce. These fries are perfect for satisfying any cheesy-spicy-fry-desiring craving, your you can make a ton of them to set out during your game day viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Ingredients

24 ounce bag frozen fries
1 7.5 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon honey
juice from one lime
8 ounces monterey jack shredded
handful of fresh cilantro chopped
salt & sour cream if desired

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss frozen fries in about 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, flipping half way through cooking time.
Heat oil in a saute pan over medium high heat and cook onion until just golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. During the last minute of cook time, add the garlic and allow to cook just until its golden brown.
Using your blender, blend cooked onion and garlic with remaining contents of chipotle peppers with sauce, honey, and lime juice until smooth. This makes just over 1 cup of sauce and it is super spicy.
Once the fries have cooked for about 30 minutes, remove them from oven and spoon as much or as little of this sauce on top. I prefer to use it sparingly, but do this according to how hot you like your fries. Transfer the remaining sauce to a ceramic dish and set it on the fry pan to warm it up in the oven. Top fries with cheese and return baking dish to oven for about 5 minutes to allow cheese to fully melt. Top with additional salt, if desired, as well as minced cilantro. Can also be served with sour cream to help cool down the heat.

Questions about the nutrition information?Check out my Nutrition Disclaimer

If you love the combination of cheese + chipotle + carbs, you’ll for sure love my Cheesy Chipotle Pull Apart Bread:

And if you like easy, you’ll definitely want to make my Southwestern Fry Sauce, also made with chipotle peppers: