By Holly Sosa
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As a Michigan girl transplanted in the SoCal High Desert, I miss out on some of my favorite mid-Western culinary treats. One in particular is poutine. While it originated in Canada, it’s become a staple among Northern Michigan bars and restaurants. I desperately miss the savory brown gravy covered crispy french fries dish and never miss an opportunity to order it when I’m visiting my hometown. While most poutine starts with fresh potatoes hand cut and fried, I knew there had to be a simpler way to recreate this dish in my SoCal home. While using the fresh, high quality french fries from Alexia would be a great option to keep it classic and simple, I wanted to put a spin on it with their crispy onion rings instead.
If you’ve never heard of poutine, it starts with crispy french fries. The fries are smothered in rich, brown gravy and then sprinkled with cheese curds. The dish is definitely not diet friendly, but it’s an occasional indulgence that everyone should try once in their lifetime. My standards were set high, so when I set out to make a simple onion ring version that anyone could make in their home, I knew it would begin with quality ingredients. And what better way to start than with verified non-GMO all natural Alexia Onion Rings, which everyone can find conveniently at their local Walmart!
Alexia Fries are grown in the United States and roasted with all-natural sea salt before being packaged and sent to your store. They’re 98% fat free and are just 100 calories per serving. Not that this dish has any cares for calorie saving, but it’s important to note for other snacks you could create with these quality fries. They come in a variety of flavors and cuts such as sweet potato, spicy sweet potato, crinkle, and even onion rings. For this dish, the Alexia Rosemary & Sea Salt Fries would make a flavorful base if you prefer the classic poutine, but to keep it fun, I picked up their onion rings from Walmart.
I roasted the onion rings in my oven for a few minutes longer than the instructed time. Because these are going to be smothered in gravy, you want to keep them extra crisp.
Once the onions were done, I let them cool off for a bit while I whipped up some brown gravy using a packet of mix you can find pretty much anywhere.
Next, I grabbed a block of cheddar cheese and chipped off several “curds” since you typically can’t find real curds anywhere other than specialty stores. These little shavings were perfect and since I wanted to keep this recipe simple, it was a perfect compromise for the real curds.
Lastly, you’ll assemble a lovely little nest of crispy onion rings, pour some of that hot gravy over the top, and finish off with some of your cheese “curds.” If you’re anything like me, you enjoy a little color on the plate and will want to add some fresh chopped parsley before serving.
Oh my, this is just heavenly!
- 1 package Alexia Onion Rings
- 1 package brown gravy mix
- 1 black cheddar cheese
- fresh parsley, chopped fine
- Bake Alexia Onion Rings as per instructions, but add an additional 5 minutes to bake time.
- Once fries are done, allow to cool and make gravy mix according to package directions.
- Shave off several pieces of cheddar cheese from the block. Make as much or as little as you prefer.
- To assemble, add onion rings to plate, drizzle gravy on top, add cheese, and top with parsley
For more gourmet inspired dishes, sides, cooking tips, and recipes using Alexia, please visit them on Facebook and Pinterest.
The post Onion Ring Poutine, a Spin on a Mid-Western Comfort Food Made Simple with Alexia Fries appeared first on Our Holly Days.