gratin, roasties and fluffy mash (Potato)

Member Name: memelalou

Product:	Potato
Date:	05/11/08 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: so yummy

Disadvantages: but guarenteed to stick to your hips

Cheese and ham potato gratin

1 lb of old potatoes
200g of grated cheddar cheese
½ grated large white onion
150g of ham, gammon or cooked bacon
Salt
Black pepper
Milk {varies with size of oven proof dish you use}
butter

Peel potatoes and slice to a 5mm thickness
Shred ham into strips
Grate onion and cheese

In a deep oven proof dish {I use a typical lasagne size dish}, dot the bottom with small knobs of butter.
Put a single layer of potatoes in the dish
Season with salt and pepper
Add a thin layer of the cheese and onion and sprinkle with some of the ham.
Add another layer of the potatoes and repeat this method until all ingredients are used and with the final layer only add cheese on the top layer of potatoes.
Pour milk over the gratin for a 1/3 of the dish.
Bake in the oven for 90 minutes at 180oc.

Tips
For a more creamy gratin use cream instead of milk
Or for a vegetarian option scrap the ham and add more onion.

This dish is more comfort food.



Extra crispy roast potatoes

This is my favourite part of a Sunday lunch, and my recipe makes the most crispy roast flavoursome roasties!

King Edward or Maris piper potatoes
Pork or beef dripping {you can get this from most butchers and some supermarkets}
Salt and pepper
Cous cous or soya mince

Peel and cut potatoes into medium sized chunks
Par boil your potatoes for 10-15 minutes in lightly salted water.
In a preheated 200oc oven heat up 4 tablespoons of the dripping in a roasting tin.
When you potatoes are cooked drain of the water and lightly shake in the pan to give rough edges, this makes the potatoes more crispy, though don't break the potatoes up.
Pour either the cous cous or soya mince onto a plate. Add a little salt and pepper.
Coat the outsides of the potatoes with the cous cous or soya mince.
Put the coated potatoes into the roasting pan and baste with the hot dripping.
Cook for 30-45 minutes basting and turning the potatoes now and then.



Tips for fluffy mash potatoes

Instead of boiling the potatoes try baking them in the oven, and when cooked scoop out the potato and mash it in the usual way, adding milk and butter like you normally do.

To be frugal, put the skins back into the oven to crisp up, and with the any leftover potato mix with a filling of your choice, cheese and spring onion works well. Pop back into the skins, and you have potato skins for another meal, for something you would of thrown away if you boiled the potatoes instead.

Summary: i hope you enjoy