The Iconic School Lunch Side We Still Crave As An Adult (& You Can Buy It Frozen)

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When it comes to beloved nostalgic foods, smiley fries are definitely high up there on the list. Who wouldn't love fries that are shaped like cute smiling faces? Plus, many adults have fond memories of this snack from childhood — for many, it was a highlight of the day when these fries were served as a school lunch side. But smiley fries don't have to be just for kids, or even stay a nostalgic food. Kids love them, of course, but sometimes, adults need a fun snack too. And these are also still completely attainable — unlike the slew of discontinued snacks from the '90s that you may have forgotten about, you can still buy frozen smiley fries to enjoy as an adult.

A bag of frozen smiley fries — such as from McCain (a common brand for these fries) — can be bought at retailers such as Walmart and Amazon. You can also make them yourself from scratch, although you have to go through a bit of effort to make sure that the smiley fries don't come out with terrifyingly droopy faces. While that can certainly be fun project, it's also good to know that you can just grab a bag from the grocery store and pop them in the oven or, to ensure that they come out extra crispy, the air fryer.

You can simply pop the smiley fries in the oven or air fryer any time you have a craving. Or you could make it a bit more fun by pairing them with other foods associated with nostalgia or childhood. For example, smiley fries and chicken nuggets make for a great pairing. You can either make chicken nuggets from scratch (which can easily be done with just three ingredients) or pick up your favorite fast food chicken nuggets. Serve this nostalgic meal with your favorite sauce, whether it's something kid-friendly like ketchup or something a bit more adult and elevated like garlic aioli.

Other fun foods to pair the smiley fries with include grilled cheese, burgers, hot dogs, or mac and cheese. Any of these dishes can be kept nice and simple — like they would be made for a kid — or elevated to fit more of an adult palate, depending on what kind of vibe you're going for. For example, a burger can mean making a simple cheeseburger with few to no toppings or it can mean making something like chipotle and roasted garlic turkey burgers — and either option will make for a good companion for smiley fries.

You can even use the smiley fries as part of a fun, unique charcuterie-like snack board. Along with the smiley fries, this board could include items like chicken nuggets or wings, fish sticks, onion rings, apple slices, and grapes. Finalize this board with an array of sauces — barbecue sauce, ranch, aioli, ketchup, and so on.