Ditch The Nachos And Try Putting Together A French Fry Bar

When it comes to setting up a nacho bar, many Tex-Mex fans likely believe something along the lines of: "If it ain't broken, don't fix it." But for die-hard foodies in the pursuit of "more and better food" — to quote food historian Reay Tannahill – transforming your nacho bar into a french fry bar with a simple french-fries-for-corn-chips swap could make for a next-level good meal.

French fries bring something to the nacho bar that corn chips sometimes don't: variety. Think about it. In the french fry world, you have any number of possibilities at your disposal. Plain. Lattice cut. Sweet potato. Curly. Steak. Tater tots. As far as grocery shopping for your french fry bar goes, try to grab at least three different kinds of fries from the frozen food section of your store. Contrasting flavors and textures bring more to the meal than your standard-cut fries. 

For example, set your bar up with at least a bowl of lattice fries flanked by sweet potato or curly fries. You may also want to choose some seasoned fries, too, or spice them up yourself. Garlic, ranch, or barbecue-flavored fries would work well here, though you're not limited to that. Finally, when deciding on the amount of fries you should get, consider putting out a couple of pounds of fries per person. If you're making a fry bar for a big event, like a fall football game-day feast, that amount of spuds should ensure you have enough fries for everyone.

Start your french fry bar off with some sort of ground meat. Beef or turkey cooked with taco seasonings leans on the classic underpinnings of this hack — that is, a hack inspired by a big plate of nachos. That said, don't rule out the best cuts of steak for tacos here, either. Seasoned with some spices, such as McCormick's Grill Mates blends, some sliced rib-eye or T-bone makes a mouth-watering addition to the fry bar. If you'd like a vegetarian or vegan option to serve your guests, faux meats from Impossible Burger or Beyond Meat have a consistency and flavor that's close to ground beef. 

Pulled pork or roast chicken move things away from the texture of ground meats. They also introduce different sauce options to the mix, given that many pulled pork or chicken recipes feature barbecue sauce instead of taco seasonings.

Finally, be sure to include a few bowls of beans. Chili is a logical choice, but black beans and refried beans work well, too. If you're not sure about serving beans on your french fry bar, think of it this way: Beans are a double whammy of goodness. Many bean recipes, like chili or Boston baked beans, include meat of some kind, such as ground beef or bacon. Beans flavored with meat not only taste great on a cool fall night, but the addition of your favorite meats can help the combined proteins stick to the fries in a way that beans alone won't.

Toppings are to fries as what frosting is to a cake — an essential way to add extra flavors and texture to an already delicious base. Most fry bars include cheese, so you'll do yourself and your guests a flavor favor, so to speak, if you're generous with your cheese options. You'll want to include at least these two staple cheeses: grated cheddar and pepper jack. Depending on the types of meats and potatoes you include, you may want grated mozzarella, crumbled feta, or Parmesan set out at your french fry bar as well. 

Melted nacho cheese sauce (improved with one special ingredient) is also a favorite topping among fry bar fans. If you don't feel like making some from scratch, you can pick up jarred queso, like the dips made by Tostitos, from the grocery store or on Amazon. It's typically flavored with taco seasonings and salsa ingredients, so it's a fitting addition. 

As for the other toppings besides cheese, set out bowls filled with onions — both green and red onions for variety — sour cream, sliced olives, jalapeños, chopped tomatoes, corn, cilantro, and sliced avocados or guacamole. And finally, don't forget the sauces. You'll probably already have cheese sauce, but it can't hurt to include some warmed-up barbecue sauce or Thousand Island or ranch dressings. Even gravies — white, brown, or canned sausage gravy, which is easy to elevate — are especially fun and tasty additions. Together, these toppings will turn your french fry snack bar into a comfort food meal fit for the Super Bowl.