Savory potato strudel with ham and melted provola, a fantastic idea for an appetizer, aperitif, you can prepare it even in small single portions, but you can simply slice it as I did and it’s definitely quicker. On Saturday night I was looking for an alternative to pizza that I hadn’t prepared as usual, and I remembered I had some puff pastry in the fridge, I had bought it for a lunch with friends, but then at the last minute I decided not to use it because I had already prepared a rich menu, so having it in the fridge left over, I thought of making something tasty for Saturday night’s dinner, and what can I say, it was a huge success. For a moment I thought this puff pastry strudel with potatoes is better than pizza. The taste is extraordinary, thanks to the herbs I used to flavor the potatoes, as well as the ham and melted provola. The great thing is that you can put this strudel in the oven in just a few minutes because I cooked the potatoes quickly in the microwave, but they can also be cooked in other ways, in a pan, or boiled, with or without skin. Let’s see how to prepare it.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven, Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Savory Potato Strudel
- 1 sheet rectangular puff pastry
- 3 potatoes
- 4 slices cooked ham
- 3.5 oz smoked provola
- to taste sage and rosemary (dried)
- to taste salt
- Egg for glazing
- classic and black sesame seeds
Tools for preparing the savory potato strudel with melted provola and cooked ham
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Potato masher
- 1 Fork
- 1 Brush
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Parchment paper
Steps to prepare savory potato strudel
Wash the potatoes carefully, cook them in the microwave, I set it at 1200W for 6 minutes, they come out looking roasted. Peel and pass them through the potato masher, cut in half, it’s easier since they are very dry. You can cook the potatoes differently as well.
Season the mashed potatoes in the bowl with salt, pepper, and finely chopped dried herbs, rosemary, and sage. They will give a special taste to our potatoes. Mix well, let cool.
Unroll the puff pastry, taken out of the fridge a couple of minutes before. Fill the entire surface with slices of cooked ham.
Distribute the potatoes along the entire length, in the central area, to create a layer about 3/8 inch thick.
Now distribute the smoked provola in the center, cutting the slices in half, each slice is quite thick.
Now close the strudel using the parchment paper to help, fold one side towards the center for the entire length. Then the other, overlapping the two edges, press well to seal and close also the edges. With a sharp knife make parallel cuts almost across the width.
Brush with beaten egg and decorate with sesame seeds. Bake in a hot static oven at 356°F for 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before enjoying.
The potato strudel keeps for a couple of days in the fridge, in a closed container. When needed, simply put it back in the oven to heat it, it is not recommended to heat it otherwise. It is always ideal to consume it freshly made, still warm, so it will be tasty and creamy. You can also prepare it in advance and freeze it, to cook when needed.
