Smothered & Covered Fries
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There’s a certain question I get asked over and over again… I am thinking maybe it’s my accent that provokes it? Or, the fact that I let it slip that I was born in Sri Lanka?
Inevitably, sooner or later, the question pops up: “wasn’t it a culture shock when you first came to the United States?” I’ve looked deep into my soul – and I can honestly say – nope, no culture shock – specially after acclimating to the traditions and culture AND food in Abu Dhabi and London prior to – but, it sure was a food-shock!
Yes, I experienced a B-A-D case of food-shock! I just couldn’t comprehend why “biscuits” were light and fluffy instead of crunchy – and eaten in the morning – with butter or sausage and not at tea time – with creme in between them! Speaking of tea time – I couldn’t quite grasp that tea time didn’t really exist here. And speaking of tea – it boggled my mind that tea was served cold with lemon AND sugar only and not warm with milk and sugar! Yes – those early days of eating here in Atlanta sure were mind boggling!
And then, just when I was getting over this mind numbing, taste-bud confusing, food-shock; I found myself at a popular diner with some classmates …aaaaaand, when I looked at their menu, I thought it was in Latin (for the record, when it comes to Latin, I know bupkiss)! Then a sweet lady came to get my order and I managed to remember to order “fries” instead of chips (thinking it was my only safe option), when the lady looked at me and asked me if I wanted them “Scattered smothered and covered” … and all I could think of was “with what”?
These days, “With what, mom? Fries with what?” is what my daughter asks me everytime I mention we are gonna wedge out in front of the tv with some fries. Sometimes, I use sliced red potatoes, but sometimes, I drop by my neighborhood Walmart and grab a couple bags of All Natural Alexia Fries and use them as a base – to some major smothering!
Guide to {my way of} smothering and covering
• Instead of “scattering” the fries, I like to spread Frozen Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato fries and Alexia Smart Classics Crinkle Cut Fries around in an oven safe pan
• Then I start on my super simple smothering mix by:
1) Sauteing an immune boosting mix of garlic, onions and ginger in some olive oil (till onions are tender)
2) Adding some ground turkey to this mix and stirring till turkey is browned
3) Adding some tomato paste to the turkey mix, and…
4) I use this mix to smother the fries already in the pan
• Then I cover the fries and turkey mix with some chopped celery and freshly grated cheddar
• Then I pop them in the oven…(as this bakes, the juices start seeping into the fries – which makes for one tasty experience later!)…and wait impatiently
Note: My daughter and I have yet to discover a non messy way to eat these smothered and covered fries – so, if you happen to know of a way to not get smothered and covered in the process of eating these, please pass it along!
All natural Alexia fries are made from potatoes grown here in the USA which are roasted before being frozen. They are 98% fat free and have 0 grams of trans fats, and, 100 calories per serving!
Do you see these Smothered and Covered Fries coming soon to your table of #GameTimeGrub, for the next major sports event in March? …Cause I do! 😆
[Tweet “Smothered and Covered Fries w/Ginger, Garlic, Onions, Turkey, Celery & Cheese! @RunninSrilankan #GameTimeGrub #ad #cbias”]
For more of Alexia’s gourmet-inspired side dishes, recipes, cooking tips and weeknight meal solutions, please check them out on:
Ingredients
- 1/3 pkg Alexia Roasted Crinkle Cut Fries
- 1/3 pkg Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
- 1 pkg ground turkey 3/4 lbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- salt and pepper
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese or cheese of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Spread Alexia fries on the bottom of an oven safe pan and set aside
- Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil into another pan and saute the onions, ginger and garlic till tender
- Add the Turkey and cook till browned
- Add the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper to taste
- Smother fries with turkey mix
- Then toss chopped celery on top of turkey mix
- And top it all off with freshly grated cheese
- Place in the oven for 25 minutes
- Dig In!
Smothered and covered would suit me down to the ground. I had a similar taste shock when I moved to Australia but now my palate has changed so much it would be difficult to eat in Atlanta again. 🙂
Maureen, you make me wanna move down to Australia and eat EVERYTHING there just to see if the same will happen to me! 🙂
This would suit us anytime. Gosh, I remember it definitely was a shock. I could’nt the smell of certain food and it was so tough for me. But, hey, 17 yrs and I am game for anything:).
Haha – time sure is the great healer right Asha – even when it comes to food shock! You know,when my daughter and I were in San Fran, we had THE BEST chowder and fish tacos -ever!
love the Yiddish word bupkiss here! And I have never heard of smothered and covered chips, but I would love to be smothered this way! Looks yum 🙂
Hahahaha – Oh Tandy – your comment made me LOL!!!
I’m more of a plain curly fries person with lots of ketchup. I will have to check this brand out.
Dixya – the crinkle cut ones were so good – definitely worth a try!
It is funny how technically American English and British English are the same language, but they are so different! Although, I wouldn’t have known what scattered, smothered, and covered were either!
Joanne – my classmates gave me such a hard time about that – but yay – so glad I am not the only one who was totally boggled!
haha, love that your first food-shock was with biscuits! light and fluffy is way better, huh? 🙂 I love Alexia fries and must try the Spicy Sweet Potato Fries!!! love that you smothered these babies. . looks soo good!!!
Thanks so much, Alice, while I won’t say no to light and fluffy biscuits – my heart leans towards those crunchy, creme filled ones…I blame my sweet tooth! 🙂
Hahah fries with what?! I love it. These look deeeelicious.
🙂 Thanks Erin!
My oh my that must have been a food shock! I had one just coming from Canada to the States (the portion sizes!!) so I can only imagine yours!
And these fries? YES. The best kind of fries are the smothered kind. Pinning!
You are right – the portion sizes are crazy – but for a broke college student that meant like 3 meals from one! 😉 My sister moved to Texas from NYC about a year ago and she said the portion sizes in TX were a shock to her too!
I would love those sweet potato fries! This looks like a great comfort treat for any time.
These really are Angie!
Dude! These look amazing, Shashi! March may very well be my favorite sports month of the year…and I’m thinking I need a big pan of these smothered & covered fries to help get me through the marathon of basketball games. (I’m guessing lil Shashi is more the March Madness fan than you? Hehe…) And yes, I guess foodie culture in the US (particularly in the South) is a bit odd. But you know what? I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I miss some good down home Southern cookin…which is why I have to recreate it in my kitchen. And I’ll be starting with these fries soon! I love Alexia’s onion rings, too. 🙂
You guessed right David – Lil Shashi is the one who keeps up with the sports – I keep up with the food! 😉
I saw those onion rings – but they have flour in their batter and Lil Shashi has issues (with flour) so that’s why I didn’t pick them up – but the fries are gonna be on our menu everytime we have a gathering or a “get togther” like Lil Shashi says!
You had me at the Smothered and Covered my friend. I need a big pan of these A.S.A.P.!
Thanks, my friend!
Love spicy sweet potato fries, and I would have never have thought of doing the Smothered and Covered thing. I like that A LOT! 🙂
This was a nice treat indeed 🙂 Thanks so much Neil!
Smothered fries, um yes please! These look amazing Shashi!
Thanks so much Marissa!
This is the first time I hear of smothered and covered fries, how interesting. I would definitely try it.
Thank you Cecilia!
I have an ultimate weakness when it comes to fries and when you smother them with all these delicious goodies these are seriously the fries of my dreams! I love that you used Alexia curly and spicy sweet potato, those are my favorite! Yum, I’ll just take the whole pan and be on my way 🙂
Hahaha – If you can wrestle this out of my daughter’s hands – they are all yours Kelly 🙂
Thanks so much sweet lady!
Yum – that looks like the perfect comfort meal!!
So, weird fact, Jordan (my 16 year old) doesn’t like potatoes which means he doesn’t like fries. It kind of creeps me out:)
Your 16 year old doesn’t like fries??? What??? But – wait – that means more for you and your other son and hubs right? 🙂
I am obsessed with the Alexia Roasted Crinkle Cut Fries, aren’t they so yummy!? I totally love how you smothered these with goodness, I’d love some salsa verde on them too! Major yum!
Those Alexia Crinkle Cut Fries are indeed yummy! And Pamela – what a great idea to add salsa verde – I am going to do that the next time we make these!
These sound very tasty smothered in all that mess. Leave it to us Amercians to come up with dishes like this. It’s certainly not a dish anyone should eat daily but I’m sure it’s memorable.
You are indeed right Vicki – this is definitely not an everyday snack – more of a “twice-or-thrice-a-year-everytime-a-Big-Game-is-on” indulgence for sure!
Oh my goodness that looks insanely good!! :O I’m drooling and it doesn’t help that it’s around lunch time now!
🙂 Thanks Lorraine!
Food shock – I like that term 🙂
And these fries look so so good! I love the Alexia fries – I buy them when I’m feeling lazy and want something easy to go with dinner!
Thanks Ashley! Alexia are becoming a favorite in our home for those times we are lazy to make our own too 🙂
Wicked smothered goodness, Shashi! Mmm. I love how you added immune boosting ingredients to these fries, too. Well, it really must have been a major food shock with Southern American food and Sweet Tea after English dishes and proper high tea! Thanks for sharing my friend! xo
Haha – Food shock it sure was – but, if I had the chance to sit down with a piece of that champagne cake with raspberry filling, I think I would have gotten over my food shock in a jiffy! 🙂
Thanks my sweet friend.
We call meals like this a “pileup”. So hearty and delicious!! I usually use country fries but I love the idea of french fries.
A “pileup” – now that I like! Thanks MJ!
scattered smothered fries? haha I wouldn’t have known what to order. I just know fries with ketchup or mustard or mayo. Or the proper Belgian way but not any different. I was shocked at first when I saw cooks adding turmeric to fries in India, it didn’t make sense and it still doesn’t.
now I wonder if you really have a strong accent. =D
Turmeric fries???? Helene I am so intrigued – I need to ask my mom – she adds turmeric to a lot of things!
Hey – when we meet one day you will hear my accent up close 😉
From London to Beaumont (little town 90 miles east of Houston) it was a shock, food and culture. Going from one of the worlds most sophisticated cities to the boonies. Yep.
Then for my first dinner, my dad takes us to this seafood place, where there is a checkered tablecloth and Ball jars as glasses….yep. The only thing that thrilled me that night was the free refills on the soda 🙂
I sure like smothered chips 🙂
These look fab.
Oh Nazneen – you had both food and culture shock at the same time!
Btw – thank you!
I have a friend from Sri Lanka and as much as he has embraced the Aussie way of life, the just can’t get used to our ‘bland’ cuisine. He adds chiles to everything. When he’s invited for dinner I put on my hottest curries for him. He usually takes a bag of chillies with him wherever he goes so he can add them to our bland cuisine xx
Oh my gosh – Charlie – I, too, carry chili pepper flakes with me – have you tried pizza with a healthy dose of chili flakes? It is indeed a delicious-and-memorable experience!
I love this creative recipe, so delicious! Need to try the fries asap! Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome Mira – Alexia fries are awesome!
haha Shashi..I laughed out loud reading this post…it looked like you were speaking on my behalf! I know why are biscuits not crunchy and not eaten with tea and why is tea not served with milk and sugar and spices! haha.. it’s all very different here!
Thanks so much Manali, I am so glad I wasn’t the only one! 😉
I love Alexia fries! Usually the only thing I cover my fries with is ketchup, and lots of it! Covering them with some other goodness though might be something I need to try.
Since you’re down south with me, you know basically the only kind of tea around is cold sweet tea. I don’t like it though. It’s either warm green tea (and rare at that) or no tea at all!
My daughter loves iced tea -but, I simply cannot get used to the taste! Though I will take coffee anyway, anytime! 🙂
This is such comfort food – I would eat the whole plate all at once! Love it! Sweet potato fries with all of that turkey goodness and other stuff on top – yum!
Thanks Julia – these are GF too 🙂
Smothered and covered? Works for me! Really fun recipe — thanks.
Thank You KR!
Shashi, please can you pop over to my house and smother and cover some chips for me and Mr. Scrummy? Thank you so much … you can share the chips – oops, sorry, fries, with us too!
Haha – Helen, I will be right over!
Aaaand I’m bookmarking this one too haha!
Wow!
This looks terrific!
Now that’s a game time dish that could even make me watch sports. 🙂
What. A. Gorgeous. Plate. Of. Food. You photographed this well, Shashi.
Beautiful photographs and this dish looks AMAZING!