Upgrade Your Frozen Fries And Make Some Cheeseburger Nachos

Many food lovers enjoy the perfect cheeseburger and fries. But sometimes, cutting corners is necessary when hunger strikes. While almost no one will turn down a homemade plate of oven fries, oftentimes, frozen fries are just as good. If you have a hankering for a delicious burger and fries but don't have the extra time to form perfectly round patties and run to the store to grab buns, turning your freezer stash of fries into an epic plate of cheeseburger nachos is the next best thing.

If you've been a fan of frozen french fries for a while, you may have already dabbled in various ways to upgrade these convenient foods. Besides adding herbs and garlic or making a sheet pan of parmesan fries, you can make an entire meal with a bag of frozen spuds, as long as you have the necessary fixings for a traditional cheeseburger (minus the bun). 

The key to making warm, satisfying cheeseburger nachos is to prepare this meal in a few different steps, as you'll be using both fresh and cooked ingredients.

Turning a sheet pan of fries into a tasty platter of cheeseburger nachos is definitely one way to elevate frozen french fries. To make a new spin on these iconic American foods, start by prepping any raw or cold cheeseburger toppings. Because most varieties of frozen potatoes take roughly 20 minutes to cook, while the base of your next meal sits in the oven, you can use the downtime to prepare the suggested protein.

For cheeseburger nachos, you'll need to break apart and sauté 1 pound of ground beef and cook any bacon strips (if you choose to use bacon) in a separate skillet or sheet pan. If you want the ground beef's flavor to mimic a classic American-style cheeseburger, you'll only need to season the meat with salt and pepper and a small shake or two of Worcestershire sauce. If you want the end result to be a real cross between nachos and cheeseburgers, season the meat with a simple taco spice packet.  

Once the meat and fries are cooked, sprinkle the seasoned meat onto the cooked potatoes, add shredded cheese across the top, and place the sheet pan back in the oven until everything has melted.

Now that you have a hot pan of meat and cheese-covered fries, it's time to transform these foods into a delicious, cheeseburger-inspired dish. If you enjoy bold, spicy burgers, opt for ingredients that bring the heat, such as chopped jalapeños or hot sauce. And to maximize the flavor of the entire dish, make nacho sauce by combining hot sauce with sour cream and slathering the mixture on top of the loaded fries. 

And if you don't particularly enjoy spicy foods, you can make special sauce by combining mayonnaise with a small amount of ketchup and chopped dill pickles. Or, if you want to keep your loaded fries as close to a real cheeseburger as possible, decorate this convenient meal with a colorful drizzle of both ketchup and mustard.

Cheeseburger nachos can not only handle a number of different toppings, but they're also a fun snack that can accommodate a group of people with individual tastes. They're a great party food, as everyone can use the same base of frozen fries with cooked meat and cheese yet still have room to get creative with a wide variety of condiments and toppings. If you've been looking for a new way to enjoy your next bag of frozen fries, cheeseburger nachos may be the new, exciting way to upgrade these everyday foods from side dish to main meal status.