Oven-Fry Poutine with Mushroom Gravy
Penelope Wall

 

Oven-Fry Poutine with Mushroom Gravy

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How to make healthier homemade poutine

I'm not French-Canadian, but the town where I grew up is in northern Vermont, and on most nights you can see the bright lights from the Canadian border crossing just a few miles up the road.

When I was on the high school Nordic ski team, we'd drive up to Quebec City each year for preseason training. Two things I'll never forget from my first trip there: seeing an otherwise super-fit skier stop in the middle of the trail to take a cigarette break, and poutine.

Poutine (pou-teen) -- fries topped with gravy and cheese curds -- is a French-Canadian classic. But until that point, I'd only ever seen it at diners and fast-food restaurants, not in a Nordic ski-center cafeteria. When my typical post-training snack included such healthful components as water, a granola bar and clementines, poutine seemed an unlikely menu option for a group of teenagers who had just worked out all day. But in retrospect, I think it's kinda genius: packing a plateful of filling carbs with some delicious salty protein for staying power.

Truthfully, though, poutine really is just glorified fast food. And most people aren't consuming it as a reward for cross-country skiing 20 miles. Which is why I was thrilled when the EatingWell Test Kitchen developed this version for EatingWell Magazine. You can make it healthier at home by oven-frying the potatoes and topping them with grease-free gravy and just a touch of extra-sharp Cheddar cheese. C'est si bon!

Oven-Fry Poutine with Mushroom Gravy

Yield: 4 servings, about 3/4 cup potatoes & 1/3 cup gravy each

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Poutine (pu-teen) -- fries topped with gravy and cheese curds -- is a French-Canadian fast-food classic.

Our lighter version features crispy oven-fried potatoes topped with just enough sharp cheese and a grease-free gravy that's chock-full of fresh mushrooms.

1 1/2 pounds new or baby potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters

5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth or mushroom broth, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup coarsely chopped cremini or white mushrooms

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450 F.

Combine potatoes, 2 teaspoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender and browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Whisk 1/2 cup broth and flour in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the remaining 3 teaspoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup broth; bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by about half, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the reserved flour and broth mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir in chives and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; keep warm on low heat.

When the potatoes are done, push them together in the center of the pan and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven; bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more. Serve the potatoes topped with the gravy.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 274 calories; 11 g fat (4 g sat, 6 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 9 g protein; 4 g fiber; 489 mg sodium; 920 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium (26 percent daily value), Vitamin C (25 percent dv), Folate (16 percent dv)

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1/2 high fat meat, 1 fat

Comfort, fast-food classic, French-Canadian

 

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Oven-Fry Poutine with Mushroom Gravy

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