Dishes of Tuscany are some of the most delicious of the Italian regions. Of many things, Tuscany may be most well-known for its spectacular cheeses, pecorino being perhaps the most well-known of the bunch. Potatoes make many appearances in Tuscan cuisine, most familiarly in dishes such as
zuppa Toscana (Tuscan soup). To combine everything that we love about Tuscan cuisine into one knockout dish may be too big of a task, but this amazingly simple and irresistibly delicious recipe for Tuscan potato bake may just be the dish you've been looking for!
This easy recipe calls for basic red potatoes, cream, Italian seasoning and three delectable cheeses to create a potato casserole worthy of any special occasion. This beautiful dish is perfectly paired with chicken, pork or beef, and it's a wonderful accompaniment to homemade stews or pot roasts. We love that this dish can be prepared and cooked in under an hour, and once the cheeses are in hand, most of the ingredients can be found ready and waiting in the family pantry!
Tuscan potato bake
Ingredients2 pounds red potatoes or yellow potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces pecorino-Romano cheese, shredded
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces breadcrumbs
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Directions1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a dash of salt.
2. Cut the potatoes into roughly 1-inch cubes. Place the potatoes into the boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and then return them to the same pan.
3. Place the butter, garlic and the thyme in with the potatoes and heat over a low flame until the garlic is just beginning to brown. Discard sprigs of thyme.
4. Remove the potatoes from the heat and pour in the cream, salt, pepper, pecorino-Romano cheese and blue cheese. Use the back of a fork or a masher to lightly mash the ingredients together, leaving some lumps in the potatoes if desired.
5. Place the potatoes into the bottom of a lightly greased 3-quart casserole dish.
6. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, rosemary and parsley. Spoon this mixture over the potatoes and bake the casserole, uncovered, in the oven for 20 minutes.
Pro tip: For some added greens, fold 6 ounces of fresh baby spinach into the potatoes as you blend in the other ingredients.
