This looked like a quick and easy dinner – and it also looked like a potato pancake with “add-ins” – how bad could that be?
It was delicious! And so fast, too. We both loved it. I made it with ham and spinach and a mix of mozzarella and swiss cheeses, but the sky’s the limit on add-ins, I think. Kind of like quiche!
Ham and Cheese Rösti with Spinach
1 large egg
5 ounces (approximately 1 cup) diced ham
1 cup shredded cheese, swiss, gruyere or mozzarella
1-2 shallot cloves, minced or about 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or other herbs of your choice, finely minced (or 1/4 teaspoon dried) – I just used parsley
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large russet potato, peeled, grated and rinsed in cold water, then patted dry between paper towels
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
pinch of freshly ground red pepper flake or ground cayenne pepper
1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped
Directions
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, except for the olive oil and 1/4 cup of the cheese, and beat well.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet (9 to 10 inch) over medium-high heat, swirling the oil around the pan to cover the entire surface well. If you don’t have a nonstick skillet, really make sure that the pan is well oiled all around with the oil before you pour anything in, even add a little extra if needed or use a nonstick spray oil to get really good coverage.
Pour the potato mixture into the pan and cook until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes. Cover the pan with a plate (or use the pan lid) and flip the potato cake out onto the plate by holding it over the pan and flipping the pan over (like you would a cake out of a cake pan onto a rack). Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the skillet and slide the potato cake – uncooked side down – back into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese onto the top (cooked) side of the cake and cook the cake until golden, about another 5 to 6 minutes and the cheese is melted. Remove the cake from the pan, cut into wedges and serve warm.
**I should probably note that I made two of these for our dinner. We both ate one. I don’t know if we’re hogs, or what, but it was the perfect portion.
