Epic Plant-Based Poutine with Smoked Apple Sage Sausage and Creamy Original Chao

Ingredients

Oven-baked Fries
3 lbs / 1.36 kg Yellow-fleshed potatoes (about 7 medium potatoes)
2 tbsp Avocado oil (or another oil that is safe for high temperatures, like sunflower oil)
1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan salt

Mushroom Gravy
1 tbsp Vegan butter
1 cup Onion, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 lb Crimini mushrooms, sliced (8 oz, about 3 cups)
2 tbsp Flour
1 tbsp Nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cups Low sodium vegetable stock (see recipe or store-bought)
3 tbsp Soy-free seasoning sauce (or tamari)
Pink Himalayan salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Poutine
2 Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages, crumbled
5 slices Creamy Original Chao Slices (1/2 package)
1 tsp Avocado oil (or another oil that is safe for high temperatures, like sunflower oil)
Oven-baked Fries
Mushroom Gravy
1 Green onion, chopped

Preparations

To make the fries:

Wash potatoes thoroughly. You can peel the potatoes if you would like, but I prefer to leave the skin on. Cut potatoes into evenly sized sticks. I used a countertop fry cutter for evenly cut fries and to save time. To make your fries extra crispy, place fries into a large bowl and fill with cold water. Soak for 1 to 2 hours. After soaking, rinse and pat dry. When you are ready to bake the potatoes, preheat your oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper. Place the potatoes into a large mixing bowl and add oil and salt. Toss to coat. Place the potatoes on to the baking sheets in an even layer. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the fries are lightly golden and crispy. Remove from oven to toss/flip 2 or 3 times to ensure even baking.

To make the Mushroom Gravy:

Add vegan butter to a frying pan or saucepan and melt over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic with a tiny pinch of salt for about 5 minutes. Stir often to ensure that the garlic does not burn. Once the onions have softened, add the mushrooms and continue to cook for another 8 minutes. Add nutritional yeast and flour, stir to evenly coat the mushrooms and onions. Stir in vegetable stock and soy-free seasoning sauce or tamari. Continue to stir, breaking down any clumps. Allow gravy to cook on medium-low heat, until it thickens up, stirring often. You can add a couple of tablespoons of stock or water if you need to thin out the gravy. Add fresh cracked pepper and more salt, if desired, to taste. Makes 2 cups of gravy.

To assemble the poutine:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an oven-safe dish or baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add oil and sauté crumbled sausage for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly golden and heated through. Remove 5 slices of Chao from the packaging. Keeping the slices stacked together, cut into approximately 24 squares. The goal is to mimic the size of a cheese curd so do not pull them apart. Layer all of the ingredients on the baking dish/sheet starting with the french fries on the bottom. Add about 3/4 of the gravy, reserving the remainder for serving. Top with Chao and crumbled sausage. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the Chao cheese has softened, but not completely melted. Add reserved gravy and garnish with green onions.