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Potato, greens and cheese bake

Potatoes plus greens is a combination that gets me through the cooler months. I use the duo in soups, curries, on pizza, even on a sandwich! What I enjoy most about these two basic ingredients together is the contrast, starchy heartiness alongside hardy greenness. Peak satisfaction.

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The ‘greens’ portion of this pairing is flexible. It could be chard (called silverbeet in Australia), kale, collard greens or even a robust Asian green like tatsoi or gai larn. Bitter leaves like mustard greens would work too. The key is using leaves that stay intact after cooking.

The cheese is also flexible. Vegans could use a dairy free cheese but it’s also not inconceivable to leave it out altogether – just make sure you season appropriately. You could increase the savouriness by adding little hidden flavor pops like olives or capers in the layers, or stir a little nutritional yeast into the greens or sprinkle over the potatoes when ready to eat. During testing, I tried both fontina and cheddar (individually, but you could mix them). I liked the smooth creaminess of the fontina a lot, but cheddar is always good because it’s both salty and sharp. I’m also thinking a soft cheese like brie or camembert would work nicely. Opt for a cheese that melts well.

Potato, greens and cheese bake

Serves

Ingredients

1 bunch leafy green such as chard (silverbeet), collard greens or kale, leaves removed from the stalk
1 leek, outer leaf removed, top and bottom trimmed, white and green finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
450 g starchy or all-purpose potatoes such as russet or Yukon gold, finely sliced
150 g grated cheese such as fontina, cheddar or gruyere
2 handfuls of soft herbs such as chopped parsley, mint, chives or scallions
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200˚C / 400˚F. Finely slice the stalks and the leaves of the greens and place in separate bowls.
Heat a large skillet (frying pan) on medium high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the leeks. Toss until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the greens stems and toss until softened, about 1 minute. Then add the leaves and the garlic and season with 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of salt, a big pinch of black pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes until the leaves are wilted and most of the liquid has cooked off (some moisture at the bottom of the pan is fine).
Place the cheese into a bowl and add 1/2 of the herbs. Toss gently to combine.
Line a 23cm / 9-inch round pan (I use a springform) with baking paper (no need to spray with non-stick oil). Drizzle with oil and tilt it to coat the base. Add a layer of potatoes, overlapping them until the base is covered. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Top with half the greens, spreading it out into an even layer and then top with 1/3 of the herby cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.
Add another layer of overlapping potatoes, then season with salt, black pepper, and then top with the remaining greens, half of the remaining cheese and drizzle with oil.
This is the final layer. Add the remaining potatoes in an overlapping layer (use up all your potatoes, even if you need to do a double layer), season with salt and black pepper and top with the remaining cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and cover tightly with foil.
If using a springform pan, put it onto a baking sheet to catch drips. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and increase heat to 230˚c / 450˚f. Remove the foil and place the pan back into the oven, baking until the top is golden, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Top with remaining herbs, slice into wedges and serve as is or with a side of salad.

Tips and Variations

I use a mandoline to slice the potatoes, which gives me thin layers with a consistent thickness. You could also use the slicing attachment on a food processor or simply slice with a sharp knife. If you are prepping your potatoes ahead of time, keep them in a bowl of water to stop them from browning.

You could make it a deeper ‘pie’ but increasing the layers (double it!). If you don’t have potatoes or want to try another profile, root veg like sweet potato, parsnips or rutabaga would be interesting alternatives.

This dish can be prepped ahead and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.