Cheese and Potato Pie Recipe

This recipe is a comfort food family favourite it’s not one for a diet day at 621 calories it’s on the high side.  I’ve made this recipe since my children were small and they still love the dish. It’s an excellent recipe for using up a glut of potatoes and a brilliant fridge standby for a picnic or just for hungry children who want fuel after a busy day at school. If you use vegetarian cheese and either soya milk or almond milk it becomes a lovely vegan dish too. This is comfort food at its best easy, tasty, filling and great if you are not at your best as everyone in the house is happy including you.

My team are carnivores through and through, for a main meal we team it with a multitude of either sausages, bacon, good quality ham or sliced chicken breast. Sides range from a green salad to baked beans or sweetcorn if it’s fresh from the allotment. Whatever you choose its a great family comfort food dish and will remain part of our family tradition for a long, long time.

Serves 6 621 calories per portion

35 minutes prep, 35 minutes to bake

Ingredients

750g potatoes peeled and chopped into large chunks

1 onion chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tbspns butter or margarine

3 tbspns milk (use soya or almond if you prefer)

500g grated extra mature cheddar cheese (use whatever your family prefers)

1 medium egg

1 tbspn dried mixed herbs

3 large tomatoes or a small handful of mixed cherry tomatoes

Method

Pre heat the oven to 200ºC fan 180ºC, 375F

1. Cook the potatoes with the chopped onion in boiling salted water with the bay leaf for 15 – 20 minutes until the potato falls off of the knife but before the potatoes start to break up.
2. Meanwhile grate the cheese and if using large tomatoes slice them, if using cherry tomatoes cut some in half leave some whole.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander for a few minutes to make sure they are as dry as possible, remove the bay leaf. Return the potato and onion mix to the pan and mash with the butter and milk. The mixture will be a little lumpy due to the onion but that’s fine.
4. Add 2/3 of the cheese and mix until melted, crack the egg into the mixture and beat it through the potato mixture. Transfer the potato mix to a baking dish.
5. Sprinkle over the cheese, mixed herbs and tomatoes and back for 35 minutes until lightly browned.
6. Leave the Cheese and Potato pie to rest for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up.  Once cooled a little slice and serve with your chosen sides.