Cheese and potato pie
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
- Dietary
- Nut-freeVegetarian
A budget-friendly family classic, this cheese and potato pie (no pastry, lots of cheese) has a real taste of schooldays nostalgia.
Each serving (without the optional serving suggestions) provides 567 kcal, 23g protein, 51g carbohydrates (of which 6g sugars), 29g fat (of which 17g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.3g salt.
By Sarah Cook
Ingredients
- floury potatoes: 1kg/2lb 4oz big floury potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- butter: 25g/1oz butter, diced, plus extra for greasing
- milk: 250ml/9fl oz milk
- English mustardEnglish mustard: 1 tsp English mustard powder or English mustard
- cheddar: 225g/8oz mature cheddar, grated
- spring onions: 5–6 spring onions, finely sliced
- egg: 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- black pepper: salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- mustard: salad, pickle and mustard, or steamed green vegetables
Method
Put the potatoes into a large saucepan, cover with water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Boil for 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Drain well, then tip back into the saucepan over a low heat to steam-dry for a few minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Grease a deep baking dish with butter.
Mash the potatoes using a masher or ricer, then mix in the butter, milk and mustard. Add two-thirds of the cheese, the spring onions and the egg and briefly mix together. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the potatoes into the baking dish. You can leave the top craggy, or smooth with a spatula then run a fork over to scruff up the surface. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is crisp and well browned. Serve with a colourful salad, pickle and mustard, or steamed green vegetables.
Recipe tips
A touch of mustard is important to add flavour but not heat; if you’re not sure your children will like it, use just ½ a teaspoon.
You can make this in individual ramekins and freeze them. (Make sure they're suitable for freezer-to-oven use.) Bake as per the recipe, as the smaller size will cook in the same time as a larger, unfrozen pie.
