French Onion Poutine makes a spectacular appetizer for your next get together! Poutine, a French-Canadian dish, is a hearty recipe made with crispy French fries, brown gravy and cheese curds. This twist on the classic incorporates caramelized onions, beef, thyme and gruyere to add French Onion flavors! Made with frozen fries and a homemade beef gravy, this starter is ready and on the table in under two hours and makes for a delicious gathering!
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Add the onions and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, then lower the heat to medium-low.
Continue cooking while stirring occasionally until the onions are a deep golden brown color, about 45-60 minutes.
When the onions are caramelized, raise the heat to medium and sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly until the flour begins to turn a golden color, about 2-3 minutes.
Slowly pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly as the gravy thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
Season with fresh thyme, and then taste. If necessary, season with additional salt and pepper.
Once seasoned, remove from the heat.
Make the Fries + Poutine
While the onions are caramelizing, prepare and cook the fries.
Follow the instructions on the packaging of the frozen fries. (Mine said the following: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the frozen fries in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake 25-28 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. Rotate halfway through the cooking time.)
When the fries are crispy and golden brown, remove from the oven, and set aside.
Turn the oven up to the BROIL setting.
Once the French Onion Gravy is ready, drizzle that over the fries, then sprinkle with Gruyere cheese.
Place the baking sheet in the oven, and broil for 2-6 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly, brown and gooey.
Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Make ahead tip: Caramelize the onions up to a day in advance and store in the refrigerator. When it’s time to make the gravy, reheat in a skillet. Once heated through, add the flour and make the gravy as instructed above.