Potato casserole: The cozy, year-round solution for busy evenings

When I don't have a clue about what to make for dinner, a casserole works wonderfully. In just a few moments, you can prepare a meal for the whole family. It’s easy to reheat, so it's perfect when everyone returns home at different times. It's hearty and very tasty, and my loved ones absolutely adore it.

Potato casserole is a year-round dish. It warms you up in the autumn and winter and satisfies in the spring and summer when there's no time for cooking. Under a layer of cheese and potatoes, you can hide many ingredients, so you can often "clean out" the fridge by adding peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, or onions. Add a portion of protein and fat in the form of

The base, of course, is potatoes. You can slice them or cut them into cubes; with larger pieces, it's good to precook them so they don't turn out hard after taking them out of the oven. The additions are up to you. You can add any vegetables, meat, cold cuts, cheeses, or mushrooms to the casserole. Onions, mushrooms, sausage, bacon, ham, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, as well as mozzarella or cheddar cheese work well.

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes,
• 2 eggs,
• 140 grams of bacon,
• several cherry tomatoes,
• 1 red pepper,
• 1 large onion,
• 2 cloves of garlic,
• 3 tbsp of tomato passata,
• 140 grams of grated mozzarella,
• half a chilli pepper,
• salt, pepper, thyme, oregano.

Preparation:

1. Cook the potatoes in salted water until soft, then mash them with a potato masher or grate them on a coarse grater. Set aside to cool.
2. In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt, pepper, and thyme, and add the mixture to the cooled potatoes.
3. Place the potato mixture into a greased baking dish and bake at 175°C for 25-30 minutes.
4. Prepare the filling: cut the bacon into small pieces and fry it. Add chopped onion and pepper, then garlic and chilli. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the vegetables.
5. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook until the vegetables are soft. At the end, add the tomato passata.
6. Transfer the vegetables onto the pre-baked potatoes and sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese.
7. Put back into the oven, increasing the temperature to 190°C. Bake for another 15 minutes, until the cheese melts and browns.

Serve the ready casserole warm. Enjoy!