Note: I was sent a copy of Ticket to Ride The Official Cookbook in order to make this recipe for Homemade Poutine. Opinions are mine alone.

During the pandemic, my husband and I, like many others, did a lot of puzzles and played a lot of board games that could be played with just two people. One of our favorites is/was Ticket to Ride (paid link), which is described as “a cross-country train adventure in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America.” We also love playing Ticket to Ride with friends and other family members now that restrictions have lessened.

So when I was contacted about a cookbook based on the board game, I knew I had to try it! Ticket to Ride: The Official Cookbook (paid link) offers dining car menus inspired by destinations throughout the United States and Canada.

The 75+ recipes are organized by the Destination Tickets from the core Ticket to Ride game, featuring unique dining-car menus inspired by the cities through which you travel. Each of the 15 routes includes an appetizer, a side dish, a main course, a dessert, and a cocktail (with or without alcohol)—all with deliciously strong ties to destination cities. Inside you’ll find easy-to-follow recipes and full-color photos for local favorites, regional desserts, and cocktails.

As I was paging through, I couldn’t stop thinking about how fun it would be to do a potluck game board night with some of these recipes! I really had a difficult time choosing just one recipe to highlight for this post but finally settled on the Poutine recipe for the Vancouver – Montreal route. If you’ve never had poutine before, it is an absolutely delicious dish of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy that originates from Quebec. Once I saw the recipe, I couldn’t get the idea of a Homemade Poutine out of my head!

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6):

Fries

4 large Russet potatoes
2 quarts vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Gravy

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

For Serving

10 ounces cheese curds, at room temperature
4 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
fresh parsley, chopped

To make Homemade Poutine, first start with your fries. Peel and cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/3-inch-wide strips. Add to a large colander and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear.

Add the potatoes to a large bowl and fill with cold water. Soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours for crispier fries.

While the potatoes soak, make your gravy. In a large saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter.

Once melted, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper.

Slowly add in your chicken and beef broths, stirring to fully combine before adding more to keep lumps from forming.

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon, and vinegar. Keep warm while you make your fries.

Drain the potato strips and thoroughly dry on paper towels.

Add the vegetable oil to a large, heavy bottomed pot and heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 300 degrees F using a thermometer (paid link).

Working in batches, fry the potato slices for 5 minutes.

Remove each batch from the oil with a spider strainer (paid link) and add to a bowl. Let the oil return to 300 degrees F before adding in your next batch.

Once all slices have been fried, increase the heat of your oil to 400 degrees F, and fry the potatoes a second time in batches until golden brown.

Remove each batch from the oil and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme, and repeat with remaining potato slices.

Prepare your bacon however you prefer and roughly chop. (I like to cook mine in the oven.)

To assemble the poutine, transfer fries to a serving dish.

Top with cheese curds.

Drizzle on the reserved gravy.

Top with bacon crumbles. Garnish with parsley and serve.

This makes a pretty epic homemade poutine. The gravy is so flavorful and the fries are nicely seasoned.

These would be a tasty albeit messy dish to serve the next time you play Ticket to Ride. I doubt anyone will mind the mess!

Alos, if you happen to have any of the homemade poutine leftover, reheat it the next day and top with an over easy egg for an amazing breakfast!