Creamy potato & herb bake
Sneak peek from Homemade Happiness
How to make your family adore you: make them this dish. It’s potatoes at their creamiest, cheesiest best. I’m already crazy about potatoes anyway — boiled with a bit of salt and butter and I’m happy as Pete, so this recipe is like potato nirvana for me. Make sure you choose a nice floury variety of spud. To be safe, just choose the bag labelled ‘mashing’ potatoes at the supermarket. Once I accidentally made a potato bake with waxy potatoes and it was a grey, insipid disaster. To be extra saucy, try adding some fried bacon in the layers too. (Trust me to suggest that!)
Serves: 6–8 as a side
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
1.5kg floury potatoes (such as Agria), peeled or scrubbed
50g butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 stalks fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1½ –2 cups grated Edam or colby cheese
1 cup full-fat milk
1 cup cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
1½ tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp milk
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Method
Preheat the oven to 170c (160c fan-bake). Grease a baking dish.
Prick the whole potatoes all over with a fork if unpeeled, place in a microwave-proof dish with a little water in the bottom, cover with cling wrap and microwave on high for 10 minutes. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them thinly. If you don’t have a microwave, just simmer the potatoes in a saucepan of salted water until three-quarters cooked (about 15–20 minutes).
Heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 7–10 minutes or until soft and starting to go golden. Add the rosemary and thyme.
Add a layer of potatoes to the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with some of the grated cheese and some onion mixture. Repeat with more layers of remaining potato, cheese and onions until all used up — try to end with cheese.
Add the milk, cream, mustards, chives, cornflour mixture, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the potatoes and then sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cover the dish with foil and cut a few steam holes with a knife.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour then remove the foil, turn up the temperature to 200c (190c fan-bake), and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Ideally, let the potatoes sit for 5–10 minutes before serving. This is perfect as a side to a main meal — whether it’s a roast, barbecue or just a quick mid-week meal of fried meat or fish.
Chelsea’s tip
- When you cut the potatoes by hand, cut a small slice off one side so you can use it as a stable platform — it stops the potato moving around as you slice.
Potatoes were undercooked. Would recommend 180 degrees for 1.5 hours
I am planning on making this one for Xmas day. Is it ok to make the day before and reheat in Xmas day? Is it yummier in the day you make it or the next day?
MM cooked this dish tonight on the side of lamb chops and fresh beans. The family loved it! Thank you
I am always so impressed by you Chelsea Winter. I do Google searchers frequently for specific recipes I want to try and almost every time when your recipes pop up they’re the only ones that have a unique spin on the ordinary that outshine all the others. I am such a fan of yours. So I’m almost ready to serve up another of your treasures, Cheesy Potato and Herb Bake and it smells delicious. Thanks yet again Chelsea :-)
This has become a staple recipe in our whare. It’s great with just about anything. Tonight it’s a side to mince and cheese pie, I know very rich dish but it’s cold and we need some comfort food.
Made Shepherds Pie & Coleslaw tonight. Absolutely delish.Loved texture of Coleslaw.
Sounds great I would leave the onions larger gives a great sweet flavor
Well you hit the nail on the head with this one Chelsea !! Family loved it !!!!! After we had eaten I read out your words to my family about how they would adore me…..said they didn’t but I know they will if I keep making this recipe. Very Happy Family :) :) :) :) Had the fresh rosemary and thyme in my newly planted herb garden too.
Definitely will be giving these a go Chelsea! Sounds like they would be a winner and are already on the menu for our first BBQ of the season!
Will be trying this along side the pork belly with guests next week…sound delish.
Ohhhh, I’ve been waiting for some side dishes YAH! I am going to make this tomorrow! I hope your new book has some more side dishes that we can use alongside regular meat such as grilled sausies!
Oh Chelsea I am naking this tomorrow for my dayghter who is due to have her 2nd baby on Nov 2nd! I have 3 girls who all have both your books which I have bought! Guess what they are all getting for Christmas!!! Cant qait for Oct 16th. I love tour tips and all your recipes of which between my girls they gave made the kot! No bull!! Keep your books and cheeky comments coming. You are so real abd we all feel we know you well!! Hehehe one of the girls is facebook friends with your Hubby!!!!
Yum – this sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try them.