It’s no secret that I love to whip up fun game day spreads for my family. Since I live in a house full of sports loving boys, there’s never a time of the year when there isn’t some game to get excited about on the television. As a family, we love nothing more than whipping up the perfect game day snack, sending time together and cheering for our favorite teams. While pretty much any game will make my guys cheer, I like to take things up a notch and create the perfect snack to go with all the game day excitement and there is no snack idea that’s more game day worthy that a loaded fry bar made with McCain® fries. With a variety of McCain fries, an abundance of delicious toppings including the best homemade cheesy fry sauce ever and the right way to serve things up, my loaded fry bar ideas are sure to score big with the sports fans in your life.
When it comes to creating the perfect loaded fry bar, one thing matters more than anything else and that’s having a variety of perfectly crispy fries to load those toppings onto and for my family, that means stocking up on McCain fries from Walmart that are made with real potatoes. While there’s never a bad time to create a fry bar, right now is really the perfect time to put these delicious fry bar ideas into action. Why you ask? Well, from now until May 31, 2019, you can get $1.50 off when you purchase two participating McCain products at Walmart. For more details and to submit your rebate, be sure to click here. That means that you can stock up on McCain Smiles Mashed Potato Shapes, McCain Craft Beer Battered Thick Cut Fries, McCain Seasoned Curly Fries and more all while earning a rebate to put towards your toppings. Awesome right? So now that you know which fries to look for at Walmart and how to save and stock up, let’s talk a little more about how to create the perfect fry bar.
Go For Variety
Every member of my family is different and one of the biggest challenges I run into when I make fries is that they all want something different. My little guy loves McCain Smiles and their fun shapes. My oldest like the burst of flavor of McCain Seasoned Curly Fries. And the hubs likes the crunch of McCain Crinkle Fries. With a loaded fry bar, I can give everyone exactly what they are looking for by serving up a variety of McCain products that are made with real potatoes!
Once I’ve stocked up on McCain fries at Walmart and submitted my $1.50 rebate, it’s time to fry, baby, fry (except it’s really bake, baby, bake). Using multiple pans, I cook all of my McCain fries to perfection according to the directions on the individual packages.
Once they are crispy and golden brown and cooked to perfection so that they have that satisfying crunch that’s been mastered by McCain Fries and is essential for a fry bar, I simply transfer them to a (wait for it) cupcake stand so that they can be separated perfectly! This little hack is one of the easiest ways to create an impressive fry bar setup.
Using a cupcake stand gives me the perfect way to separate and display my McCain fries perfectly so that my fans can mix and match or just enjoy their favorites. Once my fires are ready it’s time for the toppings!
Load Up on Toppings
While the fry variety and quality of McCain fries is the most important element in my loaded fry bar, toppings are a close second. The fun thing about a loaded fry bar is that there is no wrong topping. My family personally likes to keep things classic with options like cheese, my homemade cheesy fry sauce, sour cream, bacon, green onions, avocados and hot sauce but really, the sky is the limit. With fries as the base some fun ideas would be chili, barbeque and more! To serve up my toppings, I start by creating my homemade cheesy fry sauce.
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces of cream cheese
- 1 teapsoon of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
- Add the butter to a pan and melt.
- Gently stir in the flour to create a roux.
- Add the milk a little at a time, stirring and heating over medium heat until you have a thick, creamy mixture.
- Add in the cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese and stir until melted and well combined.
- Add in the garlic and mustard powder.
- Stir until smooth and creamy.
- Serve on top of your favorite fries.
To make this homemade cheesy fry sauce I simply add my butter to a pan and allow it to melt. As soon as it is melted, I pour in my flour and stir it gently to create a roux. Without removing my mixture from the heat, I add in my milk a little at a time, stirring it until it is thick and creamy. Once I’ve got the base for my homemade cheesy fry sauce made, I need to add….cheese, and lots of it! I immediately add in my cream cheese and cheddar cheese and continue stirring the mixture until all the cheese is melted.
Once the cheese is melty and gooey, I add in my garlic and mustard powder for a little tang and heat for another 2-3 minutes. When I remove my homemade cheesy fry sauce from the stove, it’s thick and creamy and seriously the best thing ever!
Once my homemade cheesy fry sauce is ready, I add it to a bowl and pair it with bowls of sour cream and hot sauce. After sitting these bowls in the middle of a serving platter, I create lines of my other toppings for a fun look that makes everyone want to load up their fries.
Now, this is where things get fun! Since I really want the creation of loaded fries to be as unique as my guys are, I don’t try to do things for them. Instead I give them the canvas (the McCain fries) and the creativity (the toppings) to create a game day treat that’s exciting for them. Then all they need is the perfect way to grab and enjoy!
Find Fun Serving Ideas
With so many fries and such amazing toppings, the last step in creating my perfect game day fry bar is to serve them up in a fun and delicious way. I’m a huge fan of individual servings of, well, everything so I love to add little metal tins lined with fry liners to my setup. Then my family and guests can just grab a tin, add in their fries and load them up with toppings for a game day snack that’s beyond satisfying.
I never ceases to amaze me how not just my kids but even the adult guests at my game day gatherings get so excited about filling their little tins with a combination of McCain fries and topping them with a fun mixture of toppings to create a snack that’s just right. While all my guys have their favorite variety of McCain fries, they always end up mixing things up to create loaded fries that are always a win when it comes to flavor.
For my family, completing game day celebrations with a perfect loaded fry bar never gets old. I love the ability to keep things fun while allowing my family and guests to create loaded fry perfection using McCain fries.
Now it’s your turn. No matter who’ll you’ll be cheering for in your favorite sports, head to Walmart today to pick up a variety of McCain fries to create your own fry bar. Be sure to look for a variety of McCain fry products from the world’s largest manufacturer of frozen potato products (available in the frozen potatoes aisle) that are perfect for dipping and layering. Then stock up and don’t forget that until May 31, 2019 you can get $1.50 off when you purchase two participating McCain products at Walmart.
Get all the details and submit your rebate here.
Now it’s your turn to get creative and become the most valuable cook of your fame day celebrations. So think outside the box. Go crazy with toppings. And whip up your own loaded fry bar that’s sure to be the star of your game day celebrations!
Now tell me, which of the McCain fry varieties would be the star at your game day loaded fry bar?
Your fry bar looks amazing! I love curly fries so now I’m craving them. I’ll have to add a fry bar to my next party.
Alli Smith recently posted…Baked Chicken Parmesan In Under 30 Minutes
A fry bar? Yes please! My family would LOVE this. I’ll have to try it one day. We especially love those smiley fries.
Amber Myers recently posted…Unboxing The Spring Editor’s FabFitFun Box
Not healthy at all but oh man I so want to do one of these bars now. This would be a big hit anytime and for everyone.
omg how have i never thought of this before?! such an amazing idea esp for my friends who LOVE enjoying fries- a fry bar! YES please 🙂 ill be over soon bc that fry sauce looks incredible!
This is the perfect finger food for game day! I love that you can give everyone a variety of fries, and all of the condiments are a great idea! I did not know that was a cupcake stand! Genius!
This Fry Bar is is a brilliant idea! My kids love fries, but I barely make them. This would make a great party idea
Oh my goodness this sounds like such a great idea! I 100% could tuck into some cheese and fries from this right now. Ohh I have a craving.
Sarah Bailey recently posted…Spend a Relaxing Summer in Your Garden
A fry bar is such a fun idea! This is a FABULOUS way to serve a variety of fries – so festive and happy! Thank you so much for sharing your special fry sauce recipe. Yum. Yum!
I’m a crinkle cut and shoestring fry girl. Love this fry bar idea.
Tomi C recently posted…Why My Attendance at ShiftCon Matters
A fry bar is something I would LOVE! Unfortunately, I’m trying really hard to make healthy choices, so this will have to wait a little while.
Air fryer them
We love all these McCain products. We recently tried the Smiles and the kids absolutely loved the shapes! It was so much fun to eat!
This is such a clever idea. I can’t to make this for my kiddos. This looks so yummy.
Tasheena recently posted…My Mommy Style Monday: Figuring Things Out
Ohhh now this is different and unique. Love the combo of sauces I would try them all. I might do this for my daughters movie night coming up next month
I just had loaded fries for the first time, and now I see your fry bar! I cannot wait to share this with my sister. She’d love this.
Terri Steffes recently posted…Lavender Tea Bread with Lemon Glaze
Those McCain Smiles really take me back! They were one of my faves growing up and my son really loves them now!
This is a fun and awesome idea. I love those curly fries! I think my kids would love me even more if I prepare this at home lol.
What a fun idea for a bar. We all love fries over here so that is awesome. And that cheesy fry sauce is making me drool.
Wow. A fry bar is a really cool idea! I’d love to try this for my niece’s birthday this May. This will surely be a hit!
Fries is literally my weakness but I haven’t found a sauce that I absolutely loved. Will definitely be trying your recipe. So thank you!
This recipe looks so good and simple! This is one recipe I can make!
Love the concept but don’t the fries get cold and soggy? I have a hard time figuring out how to keep things warm. I like hot food.
I serve them immediately and do a rotating service, only putting out a few servings and keeping the rest warm.