Mozzarella & Potato Pie

Ingredients:

2 pound potatoes
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella balls
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3 tomatoes
1 oz butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
pepper & salt to taste

Optionally: nutmeg

Directions:

Isn’t it gorgeous? I don’t need all the fancy cooking, give me a cup of coffee and an old cookbook and I’m happy.

Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water for 25 minutes, until completely tender and mash them.

The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of melted butter poured on top + 1/4 cup mashed into the potatoes. Nuh uh. Not afraid of butter, but I’m so not gonna put a stick of butter into a side dish, especially not since it already has tons of cheese in it. So I replaced the butter with milk.
 

I’ve added 1 oz of butter and 1/4 cup warm milk and kept mashing. The mashed potatoes will stay thick and firm, but that’s okay.

Season with pepper and salt to taste. I always add a pinch of nutmeg to my mashed potatoes; it’s a Dutch thing.

I don’t have a 9 1/2″ pie plate (should buy one, they’re pretty), so I simply used an oven dish and spread the mashed potatoes in there.

Thinly slice the mozzarella and the (peeled) tomatoes.

Place half the mozzarella on top of the mashed potatoes.

Put the tomato slices on top of the mozzarella.

Sprinkle the dried basil and oregano all over the tomatoes and cover the tomatoes with the remaining mozzarella.

And grate the Parmesan all over the casserole.

The reason I kept my mashed potatoes firm is that during the cooking process the tomatoes as well as the mozzarella will release liquid that seeps into the mashed potatoes and adds flavor. If your potatoes are real fluffy to begin with, it might end up as something you can drink through a straw.

Place the casserole or pie into a preheated oven and bake at 400F˚ (200C˚) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Until the cheese has turned golden brown on top.

And has melted underneath creating this gooey, cheesy, and incredibly tasty puree with the slight tang of the tomatoes and Italian seasonings. So good.