This DIY LOADED FRENCH FRIES BAR with McCain© Dip’n Wedges™ is sponsored by McCain Foods USA, Inc©. As always, all opinions and recipes are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Shared Appetite!
I’ve always had a passion to entertain. Hosting parties, bringing together family and friends to eat and drink together, and creating grand menus with elaborate recipes has been a long-standing love of mine. The problem, though, is that I spent all my time tending to the food and ignoring the people that came to enjoy it.
Balance. It’s taken me years to figure out how to create delicious food, all the while staying present during our get togethers. And that, I believe, is the definition of easy entertaining: serving amazing food with the freedom to actually socialize with your guests.
My favorite way to master easy summer entertaining lately has been with epic DIY spreads (I’m looking at you hot dogs, s’mores, and charcuterie boards!). They feature big and bold flavors with make-ahead items so that guests can help themselves and I can minimize my time in the kitchen! When I came across these McCain© Dip’n Wedges™, I knew that this DIY Loaded French Fries Bar was happening at my next backyard bash!
Look for your closest McCain© Potato, Dip’n Wedges™ retailer here
This DIY Loaded French Fries Bar is everything I love about summer. Tons of colors, flavors, and textures. The freedom to change up the flavor combos once your taste buds need a shift. And best of all, it’s nosh type food… you know, the type of meal where you can graze for a bit, then jump in the pool before returning for some more bites after a few belly flops and lounges on the giant swan pool float.
The center of the DIY Loaded French Fries Bar? Dip’n Wedges! These battered v-shaped potato wedges are made with 100% real potatoes and have no artificial flavors or colors. Most importantly, they are perfect for dipping in all my favorite sauces and ready to be piled high with toppings! I love that McCain has figured out a way to turn fries into the perfect vehicle to scoop up dips and build little flavor boats!
How simple is it to bring together this DIY Loaded French Fries Board for your next party? Prepare an arsenal of make-ahead toppings and put them in separate cute bowls for extra presentation points, bake up a good amount of these crispy and fluffy Dip’n Wedges, and then be prepared for endless compliments from your family and friends for weeks to come.
The toppings you choose are entirely up to you, but the ones I’ve suggested below are a great start! I treat creating this DIY Loaded French Fries Board just like I would a charcuterie spread. You’ll want to hit on all the flavor and texture components: salty, sweet, savory, acidic, sour, rich, crunchy, smooth, fresh, spicy, fatty, and herbaceous. And remember, you want to pick toppings that can be made entirely ahead and can either be served up directly from the refrigerator or very quickly reheated. Less time in the kitchen and more time with guests!
You’ll surely think up countless flavor combo ideas for your DIY Loaded French Fries Bar, but here are just four quick ideas I came up with:
- LOADED TACO – taco meat, queso, pico de gallo, and guacamole (pickled jalapeños, sour cream, and lettuce are also great ideas!)
- CHIMICHURRI SKIRT STEAK – grilled skirt steak, make ahead chimichurri, and sautéed corn
- PULLED PORK – pulled pork, shredded cheddar, pickled onions, pickled jalapeños, and sriracha mayo
- BUFFALO CHICKEN – slow cooker buffalo chicken and avocado ranch
DIY Loaded French Fries Bar
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Enough for a Party!
Ingredients
- McCain© Dip’n Wedges™
- slow cooker buffalo chicken
- pulled pork or carnitas
- taco beef
- grilled skirt steak
- queso
- sour cream
- guacamole
- pico de gallo
- chimichurri
- avocado ranch*
- sriracha mayo**
- pickled onions
- pickled jalapeños
- bbq sauce
- crumbled bacon
- shredded cheddar cheese
- crumbled blue cheese
- crumbled feta or queso fresco
- sliced black olives
- sautéed corn
- chopped parsley
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Bake Dip’n Wedges according to package directions. Place all toppings in separate small bowls and serve alongside a platter of Dip’n Wedges. Allow guests to help themselves in creating their own loaded french fry creations!
Notes
*avocado ranch: in a food processor, combine one avocado with one bottle ranch dressing
**combine mayonnaise with as much sriracha as desired (taste until you reach desired spiciness)
DIY LOADED FRENCH FRIES BAR
What a fun idea! I’ll definitely be doing this at my next get-together, thanks!