Cheese and potato pie dished up on a plate

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This cheese and potato pie is super comforting, easy and uses really basic ingredients you probably already have around. It combines floury potatoes with a leek, onion and cheddar filling, bound in creamy crème fraiche. It can also be enjoyed hot or cold so leftovers are great to pack into a lunchbox.

Do I have to use puff pastry?

You can certainly swap the puff pastry for shortcrust pastry. While the texture will be quite different, there are pros and cons to both:

Puff pastry gives that beautiful flaky and tender pastry that is really unlike anything else. It feels just that little bit more upmarket. However, puff pastry is a lot more delicate. Therefore, you’ll have to be very careful with the pie when serving it, as the bottom won’t withstand much ‘weight’.

Shortcrust pastry is the go-to option for a lot of different pies. It’s a much sturdier and thicker pastry, so it will ‘hold up’ more when you serve it. Texture-wise, it’s much denser, although still delicious.

If you want to make the entire pie, including pastry, from scratch, then shortcrust pastry is a much easier option. Puff pastry takes a lot longer to make and has many more steps and requires more time. Because of this, I include ready-made puff pastry sheets in the ingredients.

Cheese and potato pie with a portion removed

Do I need to blind bake the pastry?

Blind baking helps to avoid the dreaded ‘soggy bottom’. This is when you have a pie that is crisp and golden, but the base is soggy and limp after soaking up the pie juices.

To blind bake the bottom simply layer the pastry in the baking dish and then prick it all over with a fork. Smooth some baking/parchment paper over the top and then fill the empty pie with something to weigh it down.

Many people don’t recommend using weights to blind bake puff pastry as it will stop the pastry from ‘puffing’. However, I’ve not had success trying it without. You could use a smaller volume of weights to stop it from fully squashing the pastry down.

You can buy ready-made baking beads which are actually made for exactly this purpose, or you can use some uncooked rice instead (you won’t be able to cook it after doing this, but you can keep it in a jar and reuse it next time you need to blind bake.

What can I serve it with?

While this pie can easily be served on its own, it’s great when served with a side of salad or veg. A few ideas include:

Can I make it in advance?

This cheese and potato pie can be made in advance easily. It’s great to eat cold so perfect for lunchboxes or to take to a picnic. Keep the pie, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also reheat it in the oven.

Leftover pie can be frozen for up to 3 months also. First, wrap the pie in clingfilm to prevent freezer burn and then place in a sealed container.

What type of potato should I use?

You want to opt for a high-starch, floury potato variety. These potatoes cook to be more fluffy in the middle, rather than waxy varieties which will stay more firm and therefore the pie won’t be as tender and soft in the middle.

In the UK look for Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes. In the US go for the widely-found Russet potatoes.

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Cheese and Potato Pie Ingredients
  • Floury potatoes, cut into small chunks – see above for good varieties to choose from.
  • Cheddar – buy a block and grate it yourself as pre-grated cheese has additives that stop it melting as well. You can use either mild or mature cheddar depending on your taste preferences.
  • Leek, sliced into rounds – cut off the top rough parts and you can use the entire stem, both green and white parts.
  • Onion – brown or white – sliced
  • Thyme – fresh is best, but you can also use half the amount of dried thyme.
  • Creme Fraiche – you can use sour cream as an alternative
  • Puff pastry sheets

Equipment

How to make it

For more detailed steps with recipe tips, jump to the printable recipe card.

Recipe Steps
  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
  2. Boil the potatoes for around 3-5 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to ice-cold water to stop them from cooking further.
  3. Fry the onion and leek for 6-8 minutes until softened and turning golden.
  4. Lightly roll the pastry on a floured surface until around double the size of the baking dish. Cut into half and then carefully line the inside of the baking dish and pricking it all over the bottom with a fork.
  5. Layer the pastry in the dish with a layer of baking paper. Add baking beans or raw rice to weigh down the inside. Place in the oven for 15 minutes before removing from the oven and trimming any excess around the edges.
  6. Place a layer of potatoes in the bottom, followed by a layer of onion and leek and then a layer of cheese, a few small dollops of creme fraiche and a sprinkle of thyme. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up.
  7. Layer the final piece of pastry across the top of the pie and press along the edges to seal. Brush over some beaten egg and then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Looking for more great pie recipes? Try:

Products that work well for this recipe:

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Cheese and potato pie dished up on a plate

Cheese and Potato Pie


  • Author: caroline
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This cheese and potato pie is super comforting and really easy to put together. Combining potato, leek and onion and oozing with cheddar and creme fraiche.

The default recipe serves 4.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 450g / 1 lb floury potatoes, sliced thinly (use a mandolin set to around 3mm if you have one)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 100g / 3.5oz leek
  • 200g / 7oz puff pastry
  • flour, for rolling
  • 100g / 3.5oz cheddar
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems
  • 2 tbsp creme fraiche
  • 1 egg, beaten

Equipment

  • Baking dish – around 750ml in capacity is ideal for 4 portions (the default recipe)
  • Baking beans or uncooked rice to weigh down the pastry when blind baking – these beans work perfectly

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
  2. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and then add the potatoes. Cook for around 3-5 minutes, depending on how thinly you sliced them, until just softened. Transfer to a bowl of ice cold water to stop them cooking while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 
  3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and leek and cook for around 6-8 minutes until golden and softened. 
  4. Lightly roll the pastry on a clean work surface dusted with flour until it is just over double the size of your baking dish. Cut the pastry in half and gently roll half the pastry onto your rolling pin and unroll it over the dish. 
  5. Gently press the pastry into the edges of the baking dish and then prick all over with a fork.
  6. Line the inside of the pastry with a sheet of baking/parchment paper. Then fill with some baking beans or dried rice to lightly weigh it down. Place the baking tray in the oven for 15 minutes before removing and taking out the paper and baking beans/rice. 
  7. Place a layer of potatoes evenly along the bottom of the baking dish. Followed by a layer of leek and potato and then topped with some cheese, a few blobs of sour cream and a sprinkle of thyme. Repeat 2-3 times until all the ingredients are used up.
  8. Carefully layer the final sheet of pastry over the top of the pie and press the edges in to seal. Brush with the beaten egg and then bake in the oven for around 20-25 minutes until golden. 

Notes

  1. Use a floury potato variety to make sure that the pie is soft and tender inside. 
  2. Shortcrust pastry can be used instead of puff – although you can’t beat the flaky butteriness of puff pastry.
  3. Any kind of cheddar can be used, however, buy a block and grate it yourself as pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as well
  4. You can substitute half the amount of dried thyme for fresh
  5. Sour cream can be used instead of creme fraiche. 
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: British

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 450
  • Fat: 25g
  • Carbohydrates: 48g
  • Protein: 10g

Keywords: pie, cheese, cheddar, leek, onion, dinner, easy, simple, vegetarian

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