Name: Stringy Potato Casserole
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500 g potatoes; cheese of your choice; fine salt; grated cheese; 20 g butter; 2 tbsp flour; 400 ml milk; fine salt; nutmeg

Description

This creamy potato dish is a real treat! I have been making this casserole since I was a child and it is always a hit. The combination of tender potato slices, melted cheese and a velvety béchamel sauce is simply irresistible. Perfect as a side dish to meat dishes or as a vegetarian main course. Preparation is straightforward and can be done in no time with the Thermomix®. A hearty dish that the whole family will love! It tastes especially delicious if you use different types of cheese.

Ingredients (9 ingredients)

500 g potatoes

cheese of your choice

fine salt

grated cheese

20 g butter

2 tbsp flour

400 ml milk

fine salt

nutmeg

Preparation (8 steps)

Prepare potatoes

Peel 500 g potatoes and cut into slices approximately 6-7 mm thick.

Cook potatoes

Place the potato slices in plenty of salted water and cook for 15 minutes, once the water boils. Then drain and let cool.

Prepare béchamel sauce

Thermomix® Setting

3 min/122°F/Speed 1 50

Place 20 g butter in the mixing bowl and melt for 3 min./50°C/speed 1.

180

Finish béchamel sauce

Thermomix® Setting

8 min/194°F/Speed 4 90

Add 2 tablespoons flour and 400 ml milk to the mixing bowl. Season with salt and nutmeg. Cook for 8 min./90°C/speed 4.

480

Prepare cheese

Cut cheese of your choice into slices and set aside. Prepare grated cheese.

Layer casserole

Cover the bottom of a baking dish with a ladle of béchamel sauce. Alternately layer potato slices and cheese slices in rows until all ingredients are used up.

Finish casserole

Cover the potatoes with the remaining béchamel sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Baking

Bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 200 °C (fan) for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Finished cooking? Great! 🎉

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About this recipe

The stringy potato casserole is a dish that evokes childhood memories. My grandmother often prepared it, especially during the winter months, when new potatoes were at the peak of their goodness. It was a simple and comforting way to warm the heart and belly, a dish that tasted like home and affection. Her version was a bit different, she used grated Parmesan and a pinch of breadcrumbs for the crust, but the essence remained the same: soft potatoes, melted cheese and a velvety béchamel. The potatoes are the main ingredient, of course. Choose yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Bologna potatoes or Sila potatoes, because they have a firmer consistency and hold up better when cooked. Slicing them thinly is essential to ensure even cooking and a pleasant consistency on the palate. The cheese, on the other hand, adds flavor and creaminess. You can use a mix of cheeses, such as fontina, smoked provola and mozzarella, for a more complex flavor. Grated Parmesan, sprinkled on the surface, will create a golden and crunchy crust. The béchamel, prepared with butter, flour and milk, binds all the ingredients together and gives the dish its characteristic creaminess. A pinch of nutmeg enhances the flavor of the other ingredients. With the Thermomix®, preparing the béchamel is child's play. Make sure the butter is well melted before adding the flour, to avoid lumps. The temperature of 90°C is ideal for cooking the béchamel without burning it. During cooking, check the consistency and, if necessary, extend it by a few minutes. As for the potatoes, the Thermomix® does not cook them directly in this case, but cooking in salted water is essential to soften them before assembling the casserole. For a vegetarian version, you can replace the smoked provola with white scamorza or goat cheese. For a vegan version, you can use a béchamel made with soy or almond milk and vegan cheese. You can also add vegetables such as mushrooms, spinach or courgettes to enrich the dish. A pinch of smoked paprika or aromatic herbs such as thyme or rosemary will give an extra touch to the flavor. The stringy potato casserole is perfect as a side dish for meat dishes, such as roast veal or baked chicken. It also goes well with fish dishes, such as salmon in foil or baked cod. Alternatively, it can be served as a vegetarian main course, accompanied by a mixed salad. The stringy potato casserole can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days. Before serving, reheat it in the oven at 180°C for about 20 minutes, or until it is hot and the cheese is melted. If you prepare it in advance, I advise you not to add the grated Parmesan on the surface until you are ready to bake it, to prevent it from softening too much.