Forget Bagels And Use Frozen Waffle Fries For Mini-Pizza Night

"Please," gasps the airy, dry voice of the bagged waffle fries sitting in the back of your freezer. "Cook me. Do something with me." Guilt-stricken, you turn your eyes away from that bag, which has been waiting in the freezer for ... you're not sure, really. "Not now, waffle fries," you sigh, "I'm just not in the mood for fries." Not so fast, foodie. The happy thing about waffle fries, especially those old reliable frozen ones, is that they don't have to only be enjoyed as-is on their own. We've explored imaginative creations like these steak-and-egg breakfast nachos. Now, it's time to put those frozen waffle fries to good use and turn 'em into pizza nachos.

To do it, line a baking sheet or casserole dish with a layer of frozen waffle fries and bake them according to package directions. Crispier is better than soggy and overly tender here. Once cooked, load 'em up with your favorite pizza toppings, which can be as traditional or avant-garde as you desire. Tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and pepperoni slices are a solid start. From there, pickled jalapeno slices, ground cooked sausage, crumbled bacon, diced ham, green olives, banana peppers, caramelized onions, a drizzle of hot honey, melted garlic butter, or even add a dash of everything bagel seasoning are all fair game. If you prefer an extra melty, gooey, toasty bite, pop the loaded nachos back in the still-warm oven for a few extra minutes to melt the cheese.

If it's a warm summer day (or any time you don't feel like preheating your whole oven), you can cook frozen waffle fries in an air fryer or toaster oven. However, a key aspect of these pizza nachos' success is the structural integrity of the fries, which must be crispy enough to act as a non-floppy vehicle for the toppings — so probably steer clear of the microwave for this frozen fry hack.

For a kick of bold flavor, you could also season your frozen waffle fries. Just sprinkle your choice of dry seasonings over the fries on the baking sheet before popping 'em in the oven. Smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, Old Bay seasoning, or garam masala would all complement the savory pizza sauce and cheese. You could also experiment with different cheeses beyond the classic pizza mozzarella, like pepper jack, Monterey jack, sharp cheddar, or white cheddar.

The long shelf life of the frozen waffle fries makes this a great last-minute snack to keep on hand for movie nights or football watch parties. Time to ditch the one-dimensional frozen pizza bagels. (We're not saying you should ditch the bagel beauties forever, though. In fact, we have a few tips for making knockout pizza bagels mess-free.) This waffle fry upgrade can also be a thrifty way to use up any leftover cheese at the bottom of a bag of shredded cheese waiting in your fridge.