Quick and tasty ways to upgrade your favourite oven fries

Those lovely bags of fries. They’re the nation’s favourite, aren’t they? A staple for any classic British meal. Quick, easy and tasty, the faithful oven chip has never let us down. It’s simplicity is its strength, because it goes so well with so much. Steak and chips, egg and chips, fish and chips, and so on.

However, chips are still far from reaching their full potential, and there are, it seems, plenty of quick, easy and mouthwatering ways of preparing a bag of McCain fries that we need to try. Some of these may seem unexpected, but they may just be your new favourite way of eating Britain’s favourite side dish. Here’s how I got on with my research:

For the kids

Little ones love them. For kids everywhere there’s nothing better than chips and tomato ketchup or mayonnaise. First up, spice things up by getting mayo which is infused with garlic. Drizzle some over your fries and then grate and grill some cheddar until it goes nice and gooey. Serve hot and watch their faces light up!

Alternatively, for something tomato based, push that ketchup aside and say hello to pizza fries! Grab some mozzarella, tomato puree, slice up some pepperoni and use the fries as a base. You can get the kids involved by letting them decorate their own, meaning you can relax as they take pride in making their own dinner.

The healthy options

Fries form an important part of a balanced diet (especially when there are teenagers in the house) and there are plenty of ways to make sure that you’re eating them healthily. A posh chip butty on wholemeal bread sounds pretty good, and tastes even better. Spread the bread with some chilli pesto, pile on the fries (we love Southern Fries), add 10% fat feta and rocket (I might even have to add some crisp, streaky bacon) and you’re away.

Guacamole is fast becoming a huge deal in the UK as the health benefits of the avocado excite more and more people. Whip up your very own bowl of green goodness and chow down on some crispy oven fries - serve them as potato dippers and you’ve got the perfect party snack.

Upgrading for grown ups

You never grow out of fries really. And there’s no quicker and easier way to get back in touch with your childhood. You can upgrade the simple oven chip the adult way with some home made barbecue sauce. You can make this dip in less than half an hour, using fresh ingredients like red onion and fresh ginger, plus cider vinegar, brown sugar and runny honey. It’s the perfect accompaniment, and you’ll make it over and over again.

The quirky and unexpected

There are some ways of using fries that might seem just plain odd, but they taste amazing. First up is the chip-based shepherds pie. Simply swap out the mash potato for a bag of fries and you’ll be rewarded by a new and interesting take on the farmer’s classic dish. The oven chips give the dish a unique crispy sensation that you just don’t get from mash.

Even stranger is the French toast fry, a truly innovative invention which will totally change the way you look at oven chips. Apparently you simply dunk your fries in whisked egg and fry until golden. Then cover the chips with syrup and drops of white chocolate and you’ve got yourself a tasty new breakfast dish. Pretty quirky, but I think I’ll have to give it a go!