good2heat Potato Baker - Red,17 x 3 x 18.5 cm

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I’m not going to lie to you. This ain’t the healthiest recipe on this blog. It’s basically made up of all thingsthat are the first to go when trying to be “healthy”– potatoes, cream and cheese. Butter - A good quality salted or unsalted butter is perfect for this dish but you can use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the vegetarian/vegan version.

This Easy Creamy Cheesy Potato Bake is true to its name – easy and creamy and cheesy! Made with cubes of potato which are cookedwith the sauce so there’s no need to par boil the potatoes or make the sauce separately. Plus, it’s a whole lot faster to chop potatoes than slice them thinly – and you get more sauce in every bite! Mince the garlic if you’re including it and mix into softened butter. Soften the butter by placing it in microwave for 30 seconds form the fridge to soften. Whilst rosemary is the traditional herb to use, thyme, sage or oregano are also wonderful additions. Centuries ago, in rural France it was not common to own an oven, so women would take their potatoes to the baker to bake in the communal oven.There are loads of different variations of potato bake around, but my recipe for Classic Potato Bakeis dead easy and incredibly delicious! Cheese– Shredded cheddar cheese (known as tasty cheese in Australia) is the best choice. It has a lovely sharp flavour and turns the topping that magic golden brown colour you know and love on potato bake! If you’re feeling extra naughty, throw in a handful of parmesan cheese. I’ve found that, using a masher, it takes a lot more effort to get perfectly smooth mash. Plus, the more you have to mash to get the right texture, the greater the risk of gloopiness. And there’s still always the risk of leaving lumps behind. The French have been making this layered potato bake, otherwise known as boulangere potatoes, for hundreds of years. And of course the French know a thing or two about classy and delicious food!

With this title, however, comes great responsibility. So, it’s not without a significant amount of research and experimentation – not to mention months of strenuous, in-depth potato eating – that I’m about to tell you the best way to make mashed potato, to get it perfectly silky and smooth and raise the bar for this most worthy side dish. Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information. Best Potatoes for Potato Boulangere Recipe The first big choice that will determine the success of your mash is the variety of potato. Only last week, and even with the crown of potato royalty weighing heavy on my head, I mashed red skin potatoes that were just simply too waxy. In the end it turned out I had made – please forgive me – gloopy mashed potato. It happens to the best of us. Top tip:If you’re dishing this up alongside a bbq, and the meat isn’t quite ready, top with aluminium foil to stop it over cooking and drying out then switch the oven to off or “keep warm” until everything is ready to be dished up.The tradition was taking a casserole of potatoes to the local baker at the end of the day to cook the dish in the baker's cooling oven overnight.

You can use any onions for this recipe. I like to use the large sweet onions if I can find them. But regular brown or white onions are still great. You can use red onions but they don't melt into the bake as easily. Make it Spicy– Stir a little cayenne, tabasco or shichimi togarashi through the cream for a subtle spicy zing. Put half the butter/garlic in your baking dish and use this to grease the baking dish. Set aside the remaining butter.

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You want a good allrounder potato for this dish. Too waxy and the potato bake will slip and slide apart when you serve. Too floury and the potatoes will disintegrate whilst cooked. I like to choose, Desirée, Nadine or a Yukon gold. Preheat your oven to 395 F (200 C). Using two tablespoons of the butter generously grease a 1.5 liter casserole dish. These are our favourite cheesy roasted cauliflower mashed potatoes. They go perfectly with roasted meat or fish, or… with sausages, gravy and vegetables for ‘posh sausage and mash’! Alternatively, try these very easy but luxurious truffle mashed potatoes!