Baked poutine spring rolls

While I have been compensated for this poutine spring roll recipe by #CollectiveBias and its advertisers, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support me!  #SpringIntoFlavor

Baked poutine spring rolls, filled with sweet potato fries, grilled chicken and cheddar cheese, with mushroom gravy dipping sauce. Comfort food done light.

Regular readers know I'm a huge fan of poutine, that Quebecois comfort-food favorite of crispy french fries smothered with rich beef gravy and melty cheese curds. Talk about comfort!

But, in the same breath, I have talk about how not-so-healthy poutine can be -- which is why we don't eat it very often.

Leave it to The Ninj to figure out a way to get all the comfort-food flavor of poutine in a lighter, fresher package: poutine spring rolls, filled with sweet potato fries, grilled chicken and sharp cheddar cheese and served with a mushroom gravy dipping sauce.

While these poutine spring rolls may look complicated and decadent, I swear they're neither. For one, they're baked, not fried, which makes them that much healthier -- as well as easy to make. Plus, I've swapped the heavy cheese curds for just a sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese and the thick gravy for a much lighter mushroom dipping sauce. They're comfort food done light.

To make the recipe even easier, I used Alexia frozen sweet potatoes in these spring rolls. To be honest, I have never had much luck making my own sweet potato fries -- they never turn out as crispy as I'd like. And now I don't have to bother because I just pop open a bag of Alexia's frozen sweet potato fries. They always turn out super crispy, and I really appreciate that they, like all Alexia products, are made with all-natural ingredients.

But why stop at sweet potato fries? Alexia products are super handy to have in the freezer to use in recipes (like this one) or to pull out as an easy-to-make side to accompany dinner on a busy weeknight. I stocked up on the sweet potato fries, Smart Classic crinkle cut fries and crispy onion rings (Mr. Ninj's fave) on a recent trip to Wal-Mart (you've got to love a store where you can buy a package of socks, a DVD, a blender and frozen potato products all in one trip). They're easy to find in the frozen food section -- just look for the potato sign! (And if you're looking for more recipes using the fries and onion rings, check out Alexia's Spring Into Flavor recipe roundup!)

(Psst: If you're not a fan of sweet potatoes, you could certainly substitute Alexia's crinkle cut fries in these spring rolls and they'd be just as tasty!)

One of my favorite ways to serve these poutine spring rolls is as a party appetizer, as they're so unique and unexpected -- be prepared to be asked for the recipe! Plus, they can be made ahead of time and simply reheated prior to serving.

And if you've never made spring rolls before, don't panic: The Ninj has got you covered with a step-by-step photo tutorial in the recipe section below, showing you how to wrap up the perfect roll quickly and easily.

Not planning a party anytime soon? Not a problem: Poutine spring rolls make a great light dinner, too, served with a crisp green salad.

So, are you ready to turn all your friends on to this lighter poutine served in an upscale, hand-held package? Leave a comment: The Ninj wants to know.

Baked Poutine Spring Rolls

Ingredients:
1/2 bag of Alexia sweet potato fries
12 egg roll wrappers
6 ounces grilled chicken breast strips
3-4 green onions, sliced into 2-inch-long slivers
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups beef or chicken broth, divided
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup finely diced mushrooms
1/4 cup finely diced shallots
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions:
Cook sweet potato fries according to package directions, remove from oven and cool slightly (enough to handle them comfortably). Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Using the image below as a guide, place an egg roll wrapper diagonally on a flat surface. Layer 2-3 sweet potato fries, some pieces of grilled chicken, a few strips of green onion and approximately 1 tablespoon of cheese in the center of the wrapper (1). Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling and snug the tip underneath the filling (2). Fold the right and left sides over the filling (3), then roll the filling section over again to seal the edges; brush the remaining flap of wrapper with water (4). Finish rolling onto the flap to completely seal the spring roll (5). Place the formed spring roll, seam side down, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (6) and repeat with the process with the remaining wrappers and filling. Brush the tops and sides of the spring rolls with a little olive oil, then bake for 9-11 minutes or until browned and crispy.

While the spring rolls bake, make the mushroom dipping sauce by whisking together 1/2 cup of broth with the flour in a small bowl; set aside. Heat a little olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the mushrooms and shallots, cooking for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the remaining 1 cup of broth and simmer for about 8 minutes or until reduced by about half. Stir in the broth/flour mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two or until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in the thyme leaves and serve with spring rolls.

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