If you’ve ever been to a fancy frites place, you probably got a few different dipping sauces to try out with the fries, like some flavored ketchups, an aioli, maybe a honey mustard or barbecue sauce. It’s fun, right?
Now, try multiplying both the dipping sauces and the types of fried potatoes, spread it all out on a big board, and you’ve got a fried-food extravaganza known as a fries board.
The concept of a fries board is just like a cheese board: Find a bunch of different kinds of fries (classic fries, sweet potato fries, steak fries, waffle fries, home fries, tater tots, etc.) and then pair them with a bunch of different things that’ll taste good with them (in the case of fries, that’s dipping sauces).
The possibilities for flavor combinations are virtually endless. Spicy waffle fries dipped in a sweet ketchup? Sure! Garlic fries dipped in ranch dressing? Give it a shot! You’re really only limited by your imagination.
It seems that the genesis of the fries board can be traced back to Instagram user @thedelicious who posted her fries board in early January, complete with an impressive array of different fries and some vibrant dipping sauce options.
A few weeks later in January, @thedelicious was at it again, with another beautiful platter of fries — this one much more orange-hued than the first.
This board included plenty of sweet potato products, plus some new dipping sauces and fresh avocado slices, because our health is important.
Soon enough, the delicious idea of fries boards took off like wildfire, and other Instagrammers were gleefully posting photos of their own boards.
In January and February, folks were giddy over the party-time possibilities of the fries board, as there’s a little something to satisfy every kind of guest.
Many at-home fry cooks tried out the fries board on Super Bowl Sunday in early February, including Instagram user @st_george_hotel_qld whose epic board of fried stuff even earned approval in the comments from fries board originator @thedelicious herself.
Some folks were swayed by the romantic vibes of February with their fries boards. Instagram user @alexavoorhees had a cozy night in with her husband in early February with a beautiful platter of fries and a bottle of rose.
And Instagrammer @generalgaoskitchen decided to have her fries and cheese board, too, for a swoon-worthy Valentine’s Day platter that contained fries and dipping sauces — plus cheese and meat.
Meanwhile, one Philadelphia-based restaurant made the fries board a menu item at one point, boasting on Instagram that they were “the first Philly place to have this trending food.”
The four kinds of fries included on the board at Queen & Rook Game Cafe were regular, rosemary parmesan, Old Bay and sweet potato — all accompanied by four sauces.
You might be wondering how to achieve the fries board if you don’t keep a deep fryer on hand at home. There are plenty of options for putting together a fries board in an ordinary kitchen, though.
You could make homemade fries using your oven, air fryer or air fryer lid on your Instant Pot, or just order some fries to be delivered from your favorite local restaurant, diner or fast-food spot.
Seattle-based Instagram user @imthecraig enjoyed Memorial Day weekend this year with a “‘new’ charcuterie board” of fried stuff — including onion rings and Arby’s curly fries — plus a whopping seven dipping different sauces.
Another option is to head to the grocery store and pick up all the frozen fried potato products that strike your fancy, and bake them in the oven.
Based on her hashtags, it looks like Instagram user @cheers_and_chews may have sourced the contents of her fries board from Trader Joe’s.
You might also think outside the potato for the fried items on your board. There are so many foods in the world that are just waiting to be fried and dipped in stuff. In addition to potatoes, try making some fried pickles in an air fryer or baked zucchini fries.
Instagram user @sorrenteaux upped their fries board game with homemade fried avocado slices, along with a pretty epic selection of sauces, including feta cucumber dip, sriracha ranch and queso blanco dip, among others.
So, who’s ready to go positively ham on a fries board?
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
