If you’re looking for a versatile side dish that everyone and I mean everyone, loves, then you must try this super easy Potato Bake! This is the best potato bake recipe because it’s foolproof – I know this because I’m no chef and even I can’t mess this one up!
I’ve been making it for years. We normally have it as a side with a braai (barbecue for anyone not from Africa), and it’s super yummy to have with steak or chicken. It goes perfectly with our other family favourite braai side, the broccoli salad! But, it doesn’t have to go with your summer barbecue. We live in the UK now so waiting for winter to be gone to have a potato bake isn’t worth it. I cook this as a side for pork chops, steak, even spatchcock chicken cooked in the over.
It’s also super easy to make – honestly, you can’t get it wrong. I only do easy cooking because I’m no Masterchef.
How to make Potato Bake
Ingredients for Potatl Bake
- +/- 10 large potatoes, peeled
- 500ml Double Cream
- Salt & pepper
- Sliced Mushrooms
- Grated cheese to go on top
Optional: Bacon. The bacon should be cut into small pieces and precooked.
You should also choose a dish that can be baked in the oven. Glass dishes are best, and even better if they have a lid (to save those leftovers, if there is any!) My favourite dish is the one below, but any deep dish that can be baked in an oven will do.
Method
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Choose the larger potatoes and bonus points if they are long. I used about 9/10 potatoes but it depends on the size of your dish and the size of the potatoes. Peel them and put them in a pot of cold water. Fill the pot so that the water just covers all the potatoes.
Add a little salt to the water and then bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, take it off the heat and drain the water. Let them cool slightly.
When they are cool enough to handle, slice them longways. Each slice should be about 0.5cm thick. You don’t want them to be too thin or it all turns to mush.
Layer them on the bottom of a glass oven dish. On top of the layer of potatoes, you should add the sliced mushrooms and if you’re using bacon, some bacon too.
Keep layering the potatoes and then the mushrooms until the dish is about 4/5ths full.
Mix the cream with salt and pepper to taste, and then you pour it over the layer of potatoes until it’s about 1/2 way up the side of the bowl. Don’t fill it with cream to the top or it will bubble over and cause a huge mess in your oven.
If you want to add a bit more flavour, which I would highly recommend, you could swap out the salt & pepper for Ina Paarman’s Garlic & Herb mix. This is a South African product but is available at a number of South African stores, and on Amazon! Good old Amazon!
When you’re done, pop it in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 45 minutes. It should be on the rack on the middle shelf.
Once the 45 minutes are up, you can take it out, cover the top with cheese and then grill this until the cheese is all melted to your liking. We love it to be grilled until the cheese goes nice and brown on top and starts to bubble. Then you know that your potato bake is done to perfection.
How to prepare your Potato Bake in advance
One of my pet peeves about a braai/barbecue is that the men stand outside flipping meat whilst the women are sweating their butts off in the kitchen making all the sides and salads and doing literally everything else.
If you want to be more organised so you too can stand near the fire and socialise with your friends and family, then you can definitely prepare this in advance. If you cook the whole thing until you take it out of the oven at the 45-minute step, then simply let it sit on the side until you’re ready. Then simply put it back in the oven 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, and when it’s warmed up add the cheese and grill.
What could go wrong?
Sometimes if you use single cream, and use a lot of mushrooms, then the water in the mushrooms can mix with the cream and leave the sauce of the dish a bit runny and watery. Honestly, don’t stress. It might not look that appetising, but all the flavour will still be there and it will taste just as good.
Let me know how you get on. If you do make potato bake as the side for your next barbecue, please send me a pic, I’d love to see how you got on.
Don’t forget to pin this post to your favourite recipe board on Pinterest so the next time you’re stuck for what sides to do with your next barbecue you know this one is there.
Pin now
Leave A Comment