Old Bay Roasted Potato Wedges with Vermont Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Old Bay Roasted Potato Wedges with Vermont Cheddar Cheese Sauce is a simplified twist on poutine!  Although poutine is totally and completely Canadian, it has jumped the border and is now served all over New England.  Old Bay seasoning and Vermont sharp cheddar cheese make this dish unmistakably New England!

The inspiration behind this recipe:

Now, before I hear from any poutine purists, I fully and completely realize this is not traditional poutine.  Often, chefs like to take something traditional and change it up so bear with us!

Poutine is purely Canadian, but when I was debating on what to make for this month’s Progressive Eats New England theme, a dear personal chef friend of mine who spends much of his time between Maine and New Jersey suggested poutine.

Not being from New England and only having vaguely heard of poutine, I had to do a little research.  Traditional poutine has French fries and cheese curds topped with brown gravy.  I can do French fries.  I can do brown gravy.  However, obtaining cheese curds in Memphis was not a possibility.

Even if they were available, they could never compare to the amazing Wisconsin cheese curds I’m used to being from Wisconsin!  Wisconsin cheese curds are something meant to be enjoyed the same day they’re made.  They literally squeak when you bite into them.

So instead of plain French fries, I kicked up the flavor with Old Bay, a traditional New England and East Coast seasoning!  It also lends some of the saltiness and umami that a brown gravy would provide.

Instead of the cheese curds, I made a cheese sauce with amazing Vermont sharp cheddar cheese!

How to make Old Bay Roasted Potato Wedges with Vermont Cheddar Cheese Sauce:

• Start with 5 pounds of Russet potatoes.  You could also use waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold or Red Bliss if you prefer.
• Peel and cut into wedges.
• If time allows, place them in water so that some of the starch leeches out.  This will help to make them even crispier!

• Drain and pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
• Toss with oil and Old Bay seasoning.

• Spread them out on two nonstick aluminum foil-lined baking sheets.  If you have a baking sheet large enough to accommodate them, go for it, but two 10 x 15-inch pans work perfectly and will fit on a single rack in most conventional ovens.
• Place them in the oven to roast, flipping after approximately 30 minutes.

• While the potatoes are roasting, make the cheese sauce.
• To make your cheese sauce silky smooth, add the cheese in small amounts and whisk like crazy after each addition.

Beautiful and lively Old Bay-seasoned potato wedges!

Place on a platter and serve with the cheese sauce.  Garnish with chopped fresh chives!

So easy!  So delicious!

Old Bay Roasted Potato Wedges with Vermont Cheddar Cheese Sauce is a great side dish or game day recipe!

And with that, let’s get to the rest of our Progressive Eats menu!

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is A New England Feast. From lobster and blueberries to Vermont cheddar and pizza, New England cuisine encompasses a lot. Our host this month is Sarah Walker Caron who blogs at Sarah’s Cucina Bella.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats it’s a virtual party. A theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. Come along and see all of the deliciousness we’ve put together for our celebration inspired dishes!

Yield: 6

Old Bay Roasted Potato Wedges with Vermont Cheddar Cheese Sauce

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Old Bay Roasted Potato Wedges with Vermont Cheddar Cheese Sauce is a simplified twist on poutine!  Old Bay seasoning and Vermont sharp cheddar cheese make this dish unmistakably New England!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• POTATO WEDGES
• 5 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• CHEESE SAUCE
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup beer
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups shredded Vermont extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

1. POTATOES: If time allows, place potato wedges in a bowl full of cold water to draw some of the starch out. Let stand for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two 10 x 15-inch pans with nonstick aluminum foil.
3. Drain potato wedges and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place in a large mixing bowl.
4. Drizzle with oil and Old Bay seasoning. Toss well.
5. Spread out on the lined baking sheet making sure that each potato has the wedge side down to the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes.
6. Flip the potatoes so the other wedge side is on down on the baking sheet.
7. Roast another 30 minutes or until tender and crispy.
8. CHEESE SAUCE: Heat butter and oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk 2-3 minutes, being careful to not brown the roux.
9. Add the beer and continue to whisk until a thick paste forms.
10. Slowly whisk in the milk.
11. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3-4 minutes or until the combination thickens.
12. Reduce heat to low. Add the grated cheese by the handful, whisking vigorously after each addition.
13. Add Worcestershire, dry mustard, cayenne and salt to taste.
14. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken as it sits.
15. TO SERVE: Place potato wedges on serving platter. Garnish with chives. Serve sauce alongside or serve in bowls with sauce drizzled over potatoes.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 909Total Fat 46gSaturated Fat 20gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 96mgSodium 1723mgCarbohydrates 92gFiber 9gSugar 9gProtein 32g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.