Cooking

• Preheat your oven or air fryer and cook the frozen fries until golden brown and extra crispy according to package directions, ensuring they are not soggy.
• While fries cook, brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon, then drain excess fat.
• Reduce heat to medium, add chopped onion to the skillet, and cook until softened (about 5 minutes), then stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
• Push beef and vegetables to one side, add tomato paste to the empty side, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until it darkens and becomes fragrant.
• Stir cooked tomato paste into the beef mixture, add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano, then cook for another minute, stirring to toast the spices.
• Pour in beef broth and undrained diced tomatoes, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 15-20 minutes for flavors to meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Once fries are crispy, spread them in an even layer on an oven-safe platter or baking sheet.
• Ladle a generous amount of hot chili over the fries and immediately sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the chili.
• If using an oven-safe dish, briefly return it to a warm oven for 2-3 minutes or under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and melted; otherwise, cover for a minute to melt the cheese from residual heat.
• Garnish with desired toppings and serve immediately.