The gratin potatoes with spices and plenty of cheese are simply amazing. They remind me of my childhood because my mother used to prepare them, not as often as I would have liked, and it was always a celebration since I love everything that is seasoned with cheese. They are very easy to prepare and take little time. To make this dish that can be served as a snack, appetizer, or main course, you need a few basic ingredients that we can enrich and personalize from time to time. The baked gratin potatoes with spices and cheese will be a hit, and if we want to prepare a vegetarian version, we just need to remove the cheese from the ingredients.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 1.32 lbs yellow-fleshed potatoes
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste spice mix (optional)
- to taste fine salt
- to taste grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or other cheese as desired)
- 1 slice bread (also gluten-free)
- to taste parsley
Preparation
Wash the potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt residue. Peel them, cut them into slices about 1/4 inch thick (or into wedges or large cubes, depending on what is most convenient).
In the meantime, preheat the oven to the maximum temperature.
Take the crumb of a large slice of bread or sandwich bread (also gluten-free) and blend or finely chop it with a pinch of fine salt, ground pepper, some grated pecorino, and parsley or thyme.
Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and season them well with a generous tablespoon of oil and the bread mix. If we want to give our baked gratin potatoes a more pronounced spicy flavor, we can also use a bit of mixed spices like those for roasts, adjusted to our taste. We can also add some chili pepper if desired.
Mix everything well, transfer to a baking sheet already covered with parchment paper, and sprinkle them generously with more grated pecorino (if we cut the potatoes into cubes or wedges, do not overlap them in the baking sheet).
Bake at mid-height in the already hot oven for approximately 50 minutes (for large cubes, it will take about 40-45 minutes). After 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 392°F (200°C) and bake until they are evenly crispy.
The cooking times refer to my gas oven with static baking and heat only from below. Bon appétit.
