$15 Fakeaway Friday: Loaded fries with pineapple and avocado salsa

You can load up a bowl of fries with just about anything. Photo / Supplied.

In 2022 it seems almost impossible to save money, buy good food and treat yourself all at the same time. Enter Fakeaway Fridays, the Herald's new series where we create fake takeaway (fakeaway) meals that not only are delicious and nutritious but also come in under $15 and serve 2-4 people.

So instead of dropping $50 for a takeaway meal this Friday night, why not try a Fakeaway! It's easier than you may think with our simple tips and tricks and partially-made products already hiding on your supermarket shelves.

Nobody likes a bad chip: A cold chip, an overpriced, sat-in-an-Uber-tastes-soggy-and-old chip.

Tonight, for the same price as a couple of large takeaway fries, you can make a full meal by loading up home-cooked chips with just about anything - as long as there's some cheese and seasoning to satisfy the loaded fries traditionalists.

While I've put a Hawaiian-style spin on things by adding spiced pork mince and pineapple and avocado salsa, loaded fries are a great way to make the most of what's on special and in season, or, already in your fridge: think tomato and fresh corn salsa with Mexican prawns in summer or cauliflower cheese and bacon in winter.

And you can go two ways with chips at home: make your own from scratch - parboiled then cooked in duck fat on a high heat - or hit up an often overlooked area in your supermarket: the freezer section. Here you'll find a kilogram of Pam's shoestring fries for just $2.80 - the base of this super-easy Friday Fakeaway.

Ingredients

*Serves 2

Tinned pineapple pieces: $1.50 (Note: Fresh pineapples can often be as little as $2 around this time of year, but, alas, not this week.)
Avocado: $1.50
Pork mince: $6.40 (400g at $15kg)
Taco spice mix: $1.50
Shoestring fries: $2.80
Red onion: $1.20
2 cheese slices - .50c ($3 for a 12 pack of Homebrand pre-sliced cheese)
Mayo, Sriracha, burger sauce (pantry staples)

Total: $14.80

Method:

You can go two ways with chips at home: make your own from scratch - parboiled then cooked in duck fat on a high heat - or pick up a bag of frozen for as little as $2.80. Photo / Supplied

Dice the onion, avocado and well-drained pineapple pieces. Toss half the onion with the avocado and pineapple. Add salt, pepper, chilli flakes and a squeeze of lemon if you have any. Set aside.

Fry the other half of the diced onion in a pan with a drizzle of oil. Add pork mince leaving it to brown a little before breaking it up and adding the packet of taco spice mix and 100mls of water.

Cook fries according to the instructions on the back of the bag and salt well.

While your chips are cooking, place two cheese slices over the mince and cover with a lid to steam and melt.

Arrange your fries in two shallow bowls. Top with the cheesy pork mince and salsa and go to town on the sauces.

You can go two ways with chips at home: make your own from scratch - parboiled then cooked in duck fat on a high heat - or pick up a bag of frozen for as little as $2.80. Photo / Supplied