Hello! Today, I'm here with a recipe for a vegetarian traybake, which makes an ideal mid-week dinner!
It is based on a traditional Czech meal called simply 'baked potatoes' but uses different toppings and is totally meat-free (the original version contains smoked sausage).
This is an incredibly light meal. As the name of the dish promises, it is packed with some delicious umami flavours.
Even the biggest meat-eaters will fall for it! My boyfriend likes it a lot, so it has become our regular!
The caramelised onions, mushrooms and thyme will make your whole kitchen smell amazing, and it takes less than an hour to cook (most of the time is baking time)!
What do you need to make this vegetarian traybake?
The recipe contains 6 basic ingredients along with some pantry staples.
Potatoes are the main ingredient. White potatoes work here the best, but any large softer potato type (B) will be fine.
In my opinion, it's better to pre-cook them (as per the instructions in the recipe card below). This will shorten the overall cooking time by half!
Mushrooms are a wonderful ingredient and thanks to farming, they are usually available in UK shops throughout the year.
In this recipe, I am using chestnut mushrooms for their lovely smell and delicate taste. You can substitute them with dried porcini or wild mushrooms (50g/4tbsp), eventually with fresh white button or portobello mushrooms.
Both brown and red onions are great for this dish. Their texture will be almost the same, however, red onions will give it more color!
Please note that neither Grana Padano nor parmesan are vegetarian cheeses, but they are my personal favourites. Feel free to use a vegetarian hard cheese alternative instead.
How to store it?
Lastly, this vegetarian traybake cannot be stored frozen, but it will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 48hrs. Remember to cover it with a lid or kitchen film once it cools down.
Made this recipe? Share your picture on Instagram and tag @markieskitchencom & use the hashtag #markieskitchencom so I can see it!
📖 The Recipe
Baked potatoes with caramelised onions and mushrooms
Ingredients
- 8 large potatoes peeled, halved and cut into 1cm thick slices
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms or 50g dried mushrooms
- 2 onions peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 free-range eggs
- 250 ml semi-skimmed milk
- 6 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 60 g Grana Padano/parmesan cheese or vegetarian hard cheese
- salt, black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes until they are just slightly undercooked (that takes about 5-6 mins or until they become soft from the outside but are still hard inside when you pierce them with a knife), drain and set aside.
- When the potatoes are being cooked, prepare the onions. Carefully wash the mushrooms and then roughly slice them or cut into quarters, depending on the size.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
- Using a large frying pan: add 3 tablespoon olive oil, set on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough, add the onions and fry until soft, glossy and just slightly brown. Take them off the pan and set aside.
- In the same frying pan: add some more oil if needed and fry the mushrooms in it for 5 mins.
- In the meantime: using a large mixing bowl, break the eggs into it and whisk until smooth. Add the milk and whisk again. Season with salt, pepper and thyme and stir thoroughly.
- Use a casserole or other deep ovenproof dish, place the potatoes on the bottom, layer them out evenly and cover with fried onions and mushrooms.
- Pour over the milk and egg mix. Grate the cheese on top and sprinkle with a pinch of thyme (or add a few leaves if using fresh one).
- Place in the oven for 25-30 mins or until the egg mix is fully solid and golden on top.
- Serve with a side salad and enjoy!
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