Here’s another instalment in our series celebrating the plates and bakes of our British school days.
Cheese, onion and potato pie is a cracking one to have in your culinary wheelhouse. It can be made with ingredients most of us have knocking about in the fridge/cupboard (otherwise the components are pretty cheap), and it easily feeds a family of six, with lashings of gravy and some veg on the side.
This is something we remember very fondly. Smooth mash, loads of gooey cheese, soft caramelised onions, and a lid of thick shortcrust pastry. It felt like a proper treat.
It’s an incredible main, or works as a side dish with roasted meats or grilled sausages. Enjoy!
Ingredients (makes 1 big pie)
- 1.5kg floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 50g salted butter
- 2 medium to large onions, finely sliced
- 200g strong Cheddar, grated
- Seasoning
- Oil for cooking
- Splash of milk
For the topping:
- 150g unsalted butter, cubed
- 300g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
Method
1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook until very tender. Drain and allow to cool a little.
2. Meanwhile, fry the onions in a little oil with a pinch of salt, until very very soft and caramelised.
3. Mash the potato (we like to use a potato ricer) into a bowl and add the butter, plenty of seasoning and a splash of milk – enough to beat it to a creamy consistency.
4. Fold through the grated cheese and onions and spoon into a medium to large baking dish. Set aside to cool.
5. For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour to make breadcrumbs, then pour in a little ice cold water, bit by bit to bring the dough together.
6. Roll to fit over the mash base, cut to size, and press over the top, cutting a slit for steam to escape. The pie can now be chilled for up to two days, or baked straight away at 200C for 35-40 minutes.
