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This delicious treat of a brunch (or any meal, really – why not?) aka giant cheddar & bacon rösti, comes to you today because I decided that it was perfectly reasonable to try to squeeeeze in a ‘tasty brunch’ cooking session last Sunday before an already-too-full schedule. I scavenged around in my fridge to see what I could make with what was already there in the hope of saving myself a trip to the supermarket, decided on a giant rösti (mmm …), got all my pots and pans out and then realised that I had potatoes but didn’t really have enough cheese … and the use-by date on the bacon suggested it wouldn’t be very wise (at all) to use it … oh, and chives would go well in this dish, too, I thought. So off I dashed to the supermarket after all as if my life depended on it. The result, not surprisingly, saw me flailing around the kitchen with bits of potato peelings and cheese hanging off my hair and pots and pans and camera equipment strewn everywhere as if a bomb had dropped.
After I’d finished cooking and taken my photos, you should have seen Mr. Scrummy and I wolfing down our food in a mad dash to get out the door and to the early afternoon cinema screening we’d arranged to go to. It was not a pretty sight, I can tell you …
… but all this madness was totally worth it a. to rush off to the Stephen Hawking film ‘The Theory of Everything’ (you have got to see that film if you haven’t already!) and b. to be able to post this scrummy giant cheddar & bacon rösti today. Hope you like it!
The idea of making something resembling this giant cheddar & bacon rösti has been floating around and maturing in my head for a little while now, ever since I visited a famous tea shop that specialises in traditional Swiss röstis (Betty’s of York, in case anyone is interested – highly recommended!) ‘And what on earth is a rösti?’ I can hear you muttering under your breath. Well, just imagine a sort of big and posh hash brown – but much richer and tastier and cheesier and, let’s face it, altogether more cool and elegant.
So all that lies between you and having this delicious brunch on your table is boiling up some peeled potatoes (for about 5 minutes), then grating them into a bowl after letting them cool down in the fridge. Add to the bowl plenty of strong cheddar cheese, a softened onion and a bit of tasty cooked bacon, a drizzle of melted butter to help everything to stick together, some chopped fresh chives and a few good grindings of salt and pepper. Then heat up a bit of oil in a frying pan, tip the potato mixture into it and flatten it down and neaten it up. Leave to cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until nicely crisped and browned on the bottom (you can easily have a little peak using a fish slice) then …
OK, so now here’s the slightly tricky part … you need to flip the giant rösti over so that it can cook on the other side. But don’t worry, if I can do it (and I have been known to be slightly clumsy in my time) then you can too. Just place a plate that’s about the same size as the frying pan over the rosti, then carefully flip the pan and the plate over so that the rosti drops out onto the plate. Then you can slide it carefully back into the pan and let it cook for another 8 or 10 minutes. Confession – my rosti did actually crumble slightly on one side during this process, but it was pretty easily patched up! 🙂
Just one more consideration – make sure you let the par-boiled potatoes cool down in the fridge before you try to grate them. If they are still warm, they won’t grate, they’ll just crumble.
Unbelievably, even while making this in a total panic, I managed to poach up a couple of eggs and serve it with the runny eggs on top. I must say the combination was perfect! Just imagine … al-dente slivers of potato oozing with tasty cheddar cheese and sweet onion and bursting with the intense flavour of smoked bacon. Now imagine all this with a lovely crispy texture … and with a yummy runny egg yolk mingled in.
Am I making you hungry yet? I certainly hope so!
Serves: 4-6
- about 4 medium potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 100 grams/3.5 ounces bacon, cut into small pieces
- 100 grams/3.5 ounces tasty cheddar, grated
- chopped fresh chives (about 3 tablespoons)
- a chunk of butter (about 2 tablespoons)
- salt & pepper
- Peel the potatoes, bring a pan of water to the boil, then boil for about 5 minutes (and no longer than 8). Drain and rinse with cold water, then let totally cool in the fridge.
- When cool, grate the potato into a large bowl, then fry the onion and bacon together in a little olive oil for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the onion is softened and the bacon cooked and a little crisp/browned. Then add the butter to the pan so that it melts before adding the bacon and onions to the potato bowl.
- Add the cheddar, about two thirds of the chives and a bit of salt and plenty of pepper to the bowl and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or even with your hands.
- Now heat up a little oil in a frying pan, then tip the potato mixture into the pan. Flatten and shape it a little, then leave to cook for about 8 minutes or until the bottom is nicely crisped up. Then put a plate over the top of the pan and flip the pan over so that the rosti falls out onto the plate. Then carefully slide it back into the pan so that the other side can cook.
- Leave to cook for about another 8 minutes, then take off the heat, sprinkle with the rest of the chives and cut into slices. Serve immediately (with poached eggs if you like!)
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Yours looks so much more scrumptious than mine! Honestly I was totally unimpressed, but then when I went hiking it was a staple on every menu, and don’t you know that it was sort of the perfect dinner sometimes?
This is definitely warming mountain food, Chrissy! I remember when I went skiing in France it became a joke that all we could get to eat was cheese and ham!! Definitely hits the spot sometimes, though 🙂
I’m always looking for new breakfast ideas and this looks so yummy.Bacon, potatoes and cheese? I’m sold.
Happy you like this, Janette! 🙂
OMG this looks soooo super fantastic!!!! LOVING IT! It’s like a giant hash brown! YUM
Hi, Mila! Thanks so much for passing by … and so glad you are impressed by the rosti!
OOH – potatoes, bacon, eggs and cheddar all together? Yes, please I will have seconds AND thirds!
I saw the trailer to ‘The Theory of Everything’ – glad to hear the movie was as good as the trailer was – maybe this is what my daughter and I will do this weekend!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend Helene!
Hi, Shashi! Really hope you get to see this film – I know you’ll love it! I warn you, it’s an emotional ride, though …
So glad you like the rosti and yes, you can have seconds and thirds!
Oh yes, please do go and see that movie, Shashi … and let me know what you think!
Mmmmm – I have bacon I need to use – thank now I know what I am going to do with it.
Great … happy to have solved a problem for you, Rachel!
Oh my! This looks amazingly delicious! My stomach literally just let out an audible growl. A perfect dish for weekend brunch coming up!
Very happy to have had that effect on you, Kathleen … and hope you’re having a great weekend!
I really love rosti- so delicious! The cheddar and bacon sounds amazing and I’m loving the egg served on top!
Hi, Jess! Glad you like this! Mmm … maybe I should make it for brekky again today!
I often find myself scrambling around and trying to get things done before self-afflicted “deadlines”….but this rosti definitely seems worth it!
Good way to put it, Joanne! Most of my deadlines are definitely self-imposed!
This is truly a beautiful thing Helen, the egg on top is perfect. Love going to the cinema!
Thanks so much, Cheri! I love going to the cinema, too, but only if I know the film is REALLY good!
My kind of meal! And anything that involves a poached egg on top is a winner with me.
Hi, Sian! Thanks – happy you like it!
This looks so crazy good, Helen, and I’m wishing I had it for brunch right now! (my stomach is totally rumbling) 🙂 I imagine if you cook this giant masterpiece enough on the first side it should flip over nicely. Pinning! 🙂
Well, possibly I didn’t cook it quite enough the first time because I had a tiny bit of trouble flipping it – not too much, though. I’m actually finding myself thinking about when I can make this again – glad you like it, too!
Helen, you are making me so hungry right now! You have all the winners in here, drippy egg, cheddar, sweet onions & potatoes, I’m swooning. This is my kind of meal. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, it just works for me. It’s cheap to make and seems fairly easy (except the whole flipping the rosti over, I’m clumsy too so I’m asking husband to help with that bit.) So filling and yummy, I’m making this tomorrow, everyone is off as it’s a holiday here =)
Oh Laura, I’m very excited that you’ve given this a go! How did the flipping go? 🙂
This roti looks delicious Helen! Great job, well worth it! Love the poached eggs on top! Pinned!
Thanks so much for pinning, Mira … I think I could eat this for every meal with those runny eggs on top .. mmmm!
Cheese, bacon and potatoes? There is nothing not to like about that!
I am pinning this for sure!
Thanks so much for pinning, Dannii … I have to admit this is a good one!
Maintenant que les températures sont très bas, c’est un plat idéal ! Je n’est pas vu le film mais j’entendu des bons critiques !
Parfois les plats faites à l’improviste ce sont les meilleurs, la probe le tienne pareil tellement bon !!
Merci beaucoup, Eva! C’est vraiment un plat ideal pour les mauvais temps – j’ai mange quelque chose semblable aux Alpes et c’etait si delicieux … J’espere que tu verras le film – ca vaut la peine!
What a fantastic dish, Helen! I absolutely love all of the ingredients in here. Bacon and potatoes were meant to me together. Delish!
Agreed! I could eat this every day for brekkie … better not, though! 😉
Oh my! Some of my favourite foods combined in one recipe – I would have to restrain myself from eating the entire pan! Literally.
Great recipe, Helen!
Hello, Rebecca! Well, at least it’s FRUIT! (never mind the chocolate – at least chocolate is mildly good for you, apparently!)