Every Canadian would know about Poutine. Poutine is the French-fried potatoes with thick beef gravy on the top. It is topped with fresh cheese curds and is extremely delicious. This recipe is incomplete without the poutine cheese curd. So, if you are making poutine but have run out of cheese curd, we are sharing the poutine cheese curd substitutes!
Poutine Cheese Curd Substitutes
The authentic poutine recipe is incomplete without cheese curds. These cheese curds are the curdled milk pieces available in solid form. In addition to adding them to poutine, they can be added to gravies and can be consumed raw as well. Poutine cheese curd has a white color (some people use simple yellow cheese curd, but it’s not suitable).
Poutine cheese curd has a smooth texture and is made from skimmed milk. It has a mildly sour and tangy flavor and is never aged. The poutine cheese curd is available in solid blocks, but it’s still spreadable enough. However, the poutine cheese curd can be hard to find in supermarkets (unless you are in Canada). So, we are sharing the substitutes to help you out!
1) Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is known to be a mild cheese that is extremely versatile. Cottage cheese is rich in protein and is a great substitute for poutine cheese curd. It can be found in large as well as small curds; both of them work great. However, cottage cheese cannot be stored for a long time, so just buy it when you’ve to add it poutine.
Cottage cheese has a mild flavor. However, it has whey in it. We suggest that you mix cottage cheese with cream to substitute poutine cheese curd. With traces of lactic acid, the taste will be tangy and sour.
2) Ricotta Cheese
In case you want the substitute for poutine cheese curd and can spare some bucks, ricotta cheese is a suitable choice. That’s to say because ricotta cheese is expensive and has a sweeter flavor as compared to cottage cheese. Ricotta cheese can substitute poutine cheese curd in poutine. In addition, it is suitable for desserts and sweet recipes.
The best thing about ricotta cheese is that it’s available in non-fat and low-fat versions. However, you have to use ricotta cheese within three to five days after purchase. This is because the ricotta cheese can lose the flavor if it’s stored in the refrigerator for a long time.
3) Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a suitable substitute for poutine cheese curd. The cream cheese is suitable for everyone because it’s available in non-fat, low-fat, and full-fat versions. That being said, different varieties of cream cheese complement different recipes. Cream cheese is extremely versatile, which makes it suitable for desserts as well as savory recipes.
On top of everything, cream cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for one month, so you can store it for a long time without worrying about losing the flavor.
4) Halloumi
This cheese is a great substitute for poutine cheese curd and is made with a combination of goat milk and sheep milk. It is available in semihard appearance and is not aged. Some people also make halloumi with cow milk, so it depends on your taste preferences. The best thing about halloumi cheese is that it can be fried and grilled. That being said, halloumi will replace poutine cheese curd!
5) Fried Cheese
Be it poutine, appetizers, or snack, fried cheese can substitute poutine cheese curd without compromising on flavor. As the name suggests, fried cheese is your regular cheese that’s fried in oil. Generally, it is fried in pans, but some people also deep fry them. Fried cheese also works great as breakfast recipes. It can complement the dressing and dipping sauce and is served in hot form. Lastly, it can be warmed and added to poutine.
6) Leipäjuusto
Leipajuusto is a great replacement for poutine cheese curd and is famous as bread cheese. It is made from rich milk, such as beestings milk, reindeer milk, and goat milk. It doesn’t have any color or flavor, so that’s something that you need to consider. However, the texture is hard, but it can be turned into soft and spread form when heated up.