The potato casserole is a tortino prepared with simple and genuine ingredients based on boiled potatoes, eggs, milk, stuffed with mozzarella, ham or whatever your imagination suggests, and then baked until a super crispy gratin forms! Once it cools down, it’s ‘unmolded’ and cut into portions! In short, a treat you will love that pleases everyone!! I consider it one of those ideal dishes for lunch or dinner, great as a second course or main dish but also as a delicious appetizer and, why not, as tasty finger food cut into squares once cold. Moreover, it is prepared quickly and is budget-friendly. My version includes ricotta in the mixture, and you might remember that some time ago I prepared a similar version but with potatoes cut into thin slices and added raw! The idea was to give different textures for a surprising final result! Here, however, the potatoes are mashed and reduced to a puree as tradition dictates, but adding mozzarella in the final layer takes this recipe to an infinitely higher level of goodness! You can also prepare it in advance and reheat it as needed, making it perfect for consumption at the office or coming home from work without worrying about cooking.
Other vegetable casserole recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 35 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Electric oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it costs you nothing extra!
- 4 potatoes (medium)
- 18 oz spinach (fresh, already cleaned)
- 1.25 cups ricotta
- 1 egg (medium)
- 4.5 oz mozzarella
- 0.5 cups grated Grana Padano
- 4 tbsps breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste mixed peppercorns
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Lid
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Colander
- 1 Potato Masher
- Scissors
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking Dish
Steps
Wash the potatoes very well under running water and boil them in a saucepan with plenty of water for about 20-25 minutes from when it starts to boil. The tines of a fork should easily pierce through.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, brown a garlic clove with 2 tablespoons of oil for a couple of minutes.
Add the spinach after washing them thoroughly under running water. At first, they will be very bulky. Cover with a lid and let them wilt for 5 minutes over low heat.
After this time, remove the lid, season with salt and pepper, and turn off the heat. If you are cooking frozen spinach, follow the same procedure but in this case the cooking time needs a few more minutes, so that the heat can thaw and fully cook the spinach.
Transfer the spinach to a colander and let them drain well, possibly pressing them with a ladle to ensure they are well squeezed.
Then, after removing all their residual water, chop them a little with kitchen scissors to facilitate the next processing.
Once the potatoes are cooked, mash them with a potato masher into a bowl until reduced to a puree.
Now add all the other ingredients, namely the egg, the ricotta previously sieved and drained of its whey, the nutmeg, and the thyme leaves.
Add 30g of grated Grana, 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, and season with salt.
Finally, add the spinach and mix with a spoon until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
Transfer ¾ of the mixture into a baking dish previously oiled and sprinkled with breadcrumbs, cover the surface with mozzarella slices, well drained, preferably using those for pizza.
Cover with the rest of the mixture and sprinkle with the remaining Grana and breadcrumbs. Place in a preheated static oven at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes, then 5 minutes with the grill function until a nice crust forms.
Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing.
And voilà… the potato, ricotta, and spinach casserole is ready to be enjoyed!
Storage
👉The potato, ricotta, and spinach casserole can be kept in the fridge inside suitable refrigeration containers, preferably glass, for a maximum of 2-3 days.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣Serve the potato casserole hot with the cheese still melting if you want to use it as a second course or as a side dish to accompany other dishes. If, however, you want to serve it as an appetizer, let it cool well and cut it into small portions along with cold cuts, olives, mushrooms, or whatever your imagination suggests.
