Gattò - Cheese & Potato Casserole
This "pie" is both crispy and creamy at the same time. Made mainly from potatoes and cheese, gattò is warm and comforting, with a distinctive outer crunch thanks to a coating of breadcrumbs and an extra bit of savory flavor from Italian deli meat. Added richness from smoked cheese makes this a winning dish from Napoli.
Ingredients
- 1lb potatoes
- 1 whole egg
- 3 tbl butter (plus a little for greasing)
- ¼ lb of scamorza affumicata (cut into ½" cubes)
- ⅛ lb of provolone (cut into ½" cubes)
- ⅛ lb of parmesan (freshly grated)
- ⅙ lb of prosciutto cotto, salame napoli or a mixture of the two (cut into small pieces)
- ½ cup of milk
- breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by boiling the potatoes (un-peeled) in lightly salted water until done (about 30 mins).
- Peel and rice or mash the cooked potatoes while they are still warm.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Cut up the butter into small chunks and mix well into the potatoes.
- Beat the egg with the milk and then mix into the potatoes.
- Mix together the provolone, scamorza, porsciutto and ⅔ of the parmesan and then add them to the potatoes, stirring together until the ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Lightly coat a small baking dish in butter and then cover with a thin layer of breadcrumbs.
- Scoop the potato mixture into the dish and spread evenly across the top.
- Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top of everything, followed by the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Put in the oven and bake for 45 mins or until the top of the dish has turned a golden brown.
- Let cool for 15-30 minutes (depending on thickness and the size of your baking dish) and enjoy!
Notes
The potatoes you use should be fairly dry, so it is actually preferred to use potatoes that are a bit older. If, after peeling, your potatoes are very wet, you can put them in the oven briefly to get rid of some of the extra moisture.