RECIPE

Cheesy Creamed Baked Potatoes

Name: Cheesy Creamed Baked Potatoes
Yield: 6

Cook Time

80 minutes

Serving Size

INGREDIENTS

4 – 6 medium potatoes, peeled 2 shallots or brown onions, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Tbsps. (30ml) olive oil 1 ½ - 2 cups cream 200ml vegetable or chicken stock 10g rosemary, finely chopped Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season 200g mozzarella, grated 150g white cheddar 60g Parmesan cheese, grated 40g butter A sprinkle of store-bought beetroot salt To make the mixed green herb and garlic butter: 2 – 3 cloves garlic, sliced Zest and juice of 1 lemon Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to serve 30g parsley 20g basil 100g butter

RECIPE NOTES

Fork-tender potatoes, baked in a cheesy cream sauce, served with blushed beetroot salt. The ultimate Christmas dinner side.

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Evenly and thinly slice your potatoes. A great tip is to keep your sliced potatoes in a bowl of water to keep them from discolouring or browning while you are preparing them. Drain the potatoes of any excess moisture.

Fry the shallots and garlic in olive oil until softened and fragrant for about 5 – 8 minutes and set aside. Mix together the cream, stock, and rosemary. Check the seasoning, as the stock may be salty enough. Layer the potatoes in a single layer on the bottom of a Le Creuset 26cm Heritage Rectangular Dish. Top with a spoonful of garlic onions, mixed cheeses (reserve some for the top), and repeat until the dish is full. Pour the cream mix over the potatoes (only the top layer of potatoes). Place the butter cubes and reserved mixed cheese on top of the potatoes.

Bake for 20 minutes to achieve a beautiful golden crust, reduce the heat to 180C and continue to bake for another 40 – 60 minutes until a knife can easily be inserted into the middle of the bake without resistance. Serve hot with a sprinkle of pink beetroot salt and a mixed green herb and garlic butter.

To make the mixed green herb and garlic butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium to low heat and add the garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes until melted and fragrant. Blanch 30g parsley for a few seconds in boiling water until the leaves are bright green, drain and refresh in iced water. Squeeze out any excess water. Transfer to a blender and blend with the fresh basil and melted butter mixture. Keep in the fridge until needed.