Wow, poutine. You are an amazing, unique culinary concoction I admire yet will never fully understand. Hats off to you Canadians, fries smothered in gravy and topped with cheese curds is a gift from the Gods. I even had a version covered in pulled pork at a BBQ joint and, once again, it was gold.
It made me wonder– what kind of variation could I make? Where’s my slice of the poutine pie? And more importantly, what does it taste like? Picture this– thick cut fries drowning in a beefy-cheesy gravy and topped off with squeaky cheese curds, pickled jalapenos, and other nacho fixin’s. Oh yeah, that’s the ticket.
And thus nacho poutine was born (in my mind anyway). And this recipe is everything I dreamed it to be. It’s like poutine and a plate of nachos had a gorgeous love child.
This is the epitome of junk food and I mean that in the best way possible. Please make these at least once in your lifetime. I’m not gonna lie, they are labor intensive, but you can’t die without trying these. Seriously, I’d feel really bad if your last words were “Should… have…. tried….. nacho poutine.” Friends don’t let friends go out like that. So when you make them, be sure to invite your most loved over to share.
Make these for a friend who just went through a breakup, make them for a friend who just got married. Make them for your mother for giving birth to you. Make them for yourself for making it through another day unscathed. Trust me, you’ll find an excuse. I have to say, these are best shared with the ones you care about. That way, when your mouths are stuffed with french fried, cheesy, spicy goodness you’ll have a bonding moment knowing that, even though you can’t speak, each of you just experienced a little piece of heaven.
Too little time? Try this hack. Soak cut potatoes overnight. That way, the next day all you have to worry about is making the gravy, frying the fries, and garnishes. We love saving time on recipes, so we thought you would too.
We can’t wait to hear what you think about this recipe. Or what would you do if you were going to make your own version of poutine? Bring it on, let us know! We’d love to hear from you.
Cheesy Nacho Poutine Recipe
Prep time: 2 hours 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 2 hours 45 mins
Serves: 4
This Cheesy Nacho Poutine recipe is poutine and nachos together! Homemade fries topped with cheddar gravy, cheese curds, and nacho fixin’s.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds large baking russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
- canola oil for frying
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon
- 2 ½ tablespoons pickled jalapeno juice
- 1 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste (optional)
- ½ cup sliced pickled jalapenos
- ½ cup diced tomato
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 cup cheddar cheese curds
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes to ½x1/2-inch fries. Place in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to soak for 2 hours. This removes some of the starch from the fries, keeping them from sticking together and also allows more moisture to cook out during frying.
- While the potatoes are soaking, make the nacho poutine sauce. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and stir until melted. Whisk in the flour, then cook for 3 minutes to remove the flour flavor.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, a little at a time until fully incorporated. Cook and whisk the sauce until it thickens and bubbles.
- Remove from heat, add the cheddar, bouillon, jalapeno juice, cayenne (if using). Season with salt to taste and cover. The sauce will develop a skin, but it will disappear after heated and stirred.
- When the potatoes are done soaking, drain them and transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Thoroughly dry the potatoes by patting them with paper towels.
- Fill a deep cast iron skillet or dutch oven with 2-3 inches of oil. Be sure to leave a couple inches of head room for the addition of the fries. Bring the oil to 325ºF.
- Carefully add the dried potatoes to the hot oil, working in batches if necessary. Fry the potatoes until they are browned, crispy, and tender in the middle, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer to another paper towel lined baking sheet and season with salt. If you’re working in batches, store the fries in a warm oven until the next batch is ready.
- Reheat the nacho poutine sauce over medium heat, whisking until the lumps disappear.
- Divide the fries among 4 shallow bowls or plates. Smother with sauce and garnishes, as desired. Devour immediately!