All this week I’ve been writing about dishes to have during the Super Bowl. The custom for sports fans on this long and intense Sunday is snack food: say wings and ribs. And I’ve shared recipes for just those, dishes, ones filled with spice and dash.
How about something a bit mellow to eat on the side, or maybe as the entire meal?
Here’s a dish that might be much appreciated alongside those wings and ribs: rich mashed potatoes, fashioned into a baked pie complete with bacon, leeks and cheese. You could serve this any night as feast, but for Super Sunday it might be just the ideal snack for that long 30-minute half time. You know, the half-time show filled with music you cannot understand by someone you never heard of.
Well, actually, I do know who Katie Perry is and who can forget Janet Jackson. Let us all hope there are no malfunctions or under inflated footballs.
This recipe and photo come from the lovely Fireside Feasts & Snow Day Treats by Ryland Peters & Small. It’s a recipe just begs for your personal tinkering. You can amplify the mashed potatoes with more milk and butter. You can add more cheese, or a different style of cheese: think pepper jack with a can of green chiles tossed in! Bacon does seems the right touch here, but you might be a pancetta person or want some cooked diced ham. You could even, don’t laugh at me, use smoked salmon.
Look, it’s Super Sunday. Anything goes. Think of this dish as your chance for culinary onside kick.
I’m sure that once you try this recipe, you’ll be experimenting on different versions for every Super Bowl to come.
Mashed Potato Pie with Bacon, Leeks and Cheese
Yield: serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds floury potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 small leeks, thinly sliced
- 3 ounces bacon or pancetta, diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup milk or single/light cream (or a bit of both)
- 1 egg, beaten
- A large handful of fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- A pinch of paprika
- 3 ¼ ounces firm cheese, such as Gruyere, grated
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Grease a 9-inch baking dish or round skillet.
Halve or quarter the potatoes depending on their size; they should be about the same to cook evenly. Put them in a large saucepan, add sufficient cold water to cover, salt well and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add the onion and leeks and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the bacon and cook for 3-5 minutes, until just browned. Season with salt and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Drain the potatoes and mash coarsely, mixing in the butter and milk. Season well and add the egg. Stir to combine.
Stir in the leek mixture, parsley, paprika and half the cheese. Transfer to the prepared dish and spread evenly, sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, until well browned. Serve immediately.
Source: Fireside Feasts & Snow Day Treats by Ryland Peters & Small
Photo Credit: Ryland Peters & Small