If you are looking for an idea for a good winter dish that is easy to make and very comforting using melted cheese, then this Potato and Cheese Pie recipe is for you!

It brings together all the ingredients you would expect from a gourmet winter dish and what’s more, it’s vegetarian.

Potato and Cheese Pie Recipe

I made this recipe for ALPES ISHERE by simplifying the Tourte de l’Isère which was imagined and developed last year by a great Isère chef, Alexandre Zdankevitch. This emblematic recipe from Isère was created to promote the delicious local products appreciated.

The aim of this new version is to make it simpler to make at home but it keeps the spirit of the original by retaining the same ingredients which reflect the identity of the Isère terroir. I was also lucky enough to be able to participate in the unveiling of this recipe last year, at the Lesdiguières hotel school.

So this tart… it obviously contains potatoes which are notably associated with leek, saint-marcellin cheese (small cow’s milk cheese), and walnuts…

Fans of processed cheese, this economical and delicious recipe is made for you! It will be ideal served simply with a good green salad garnished with a few nuts.

WHAT INGREDIENTS do YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS PIE?

store-bought or homemade puff pastry
potatoes
leek, which deliciously enhances this tart
onion because a good dish, especially in winter, always contains it
saint-marcellin cheese, a small Dauphiné cheese made from cow’s milk, with mild flavors. You can choose it more or less dry depending on your tastes. In the recipe you will have the choice of adding 2 or 3 Saint-Marcellin in order to adapt to your preferences. For my part, I am very fond of cheese so I put 3. 😉
walnuts, obviously the best because they are local and very fragrant
cream

Ingredient details and instructions are available in the recipe card below.

WHY WILL YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE?

its flavors: Saint-Marcellin brings all the deliciousness of cheese which goes very well with leek (winter vegetable par excellence),
its texture: I like the crispness of the puff pastry and the tenderness of the potatoes dipped in cheese. If you want to add a little crunch to the pie, you can even toast the nuts before placing them in the pie,
its level of difficulty: very easy! All you have to do is pre-cook the potatoes and leeks and then simply assemble the tart. To do this, you can simply use a flat baking sheet or a pie dish or even a springform pan to give your pie a little more height (I show you how to do it in pictures, below).

Ingredients

800 g potatoes
1 to 2 French cheese : Saint-Marcellin IGP cheeses (according to taste)
2 handfuls of crushed walnuts
2 puff pastries (approximately 460 g)
1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of cream for gilding

FOR THE LEEK SOUBISE (CREAMY LEEK SAUCE)

1 leek white (100 g)
1 onion (100 g)
30 g butter
15 cl whipped cream
Salt and pepper
1 pinch grated nutmeg
1 French cheese (saint-marcellin IGP)

Instructions

FOR POTATOES

Peel the potatoes, rinse them and immerse them whole in boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on their size) to pre-cook them. They should be tender but not completely cooked.
Drain them and cut them into thin strips. Reserve.

FOR THE LEEK SOUBISE (CREAMY LEEK SAUCE)

While the potatoes are cooking, peel the onion and slice it finely.
Do the same with the leek white.
In a pan, gently fry them with the butter until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Salt, pepper and stir from time to time.
Pour in the cream, add a pinch of grated nutmeg and a Saint-Marcellin cut into pieces.
Heat for 3 to 5 minutes over low heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted.

FOR MOUNTING

It is possible to use a pie dish or to assemble the pie directly on a baking tray.
Spread the puff pastry on parchment paper either at the bottom of a dish or on the baking sheet.
On the puff pastry, place a layer of potatoes in the shape of a circle approximately 22 centimeters in diameter, leaving 2 to 3 centimeters of dough on the edges.
You can use the edge of a springform pan to help you.
Place the leek soubise with Saint-Marcellin on top, a few crushed walnuts and pieces of 1 to 2 Saint-Marcellins.
Repeat the operation on 2 or 3 layers in order to have a little thickness.
1 puff pastry
1 layer of potatoes
1 layer of soubise + walnuts + pieces of Saint-Marcellin
1 layer of potatoes
1 layer of soubise + walnuts + pieces of Saint-Marcellin
1 layer of potatoes
1 puff pastry
Using a pastry brush, brush the egg yolk-cream mixture around the edges of the pastry.
Cover everything with the second puff pastry.
Seal the edges of the 2 puff pastries together.
Brown the top of the tart with the remaining egg-cream mixture. Draw patterns on the top using a kitchen blade or knife. Lightly prick the dough.
Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Bake (on the bottom of your oven) for about 35-40 minutes. The puff pastry should be nicely browned.
Serve hot with a nice green salad and some nuts.

If you ever make my Potato and Cheese Pie recipe and you like it, don’t hesitate to tag me on Instagram @tangerinezest so I can see the result and share it myself…

Finally, just to let you know I am French and I translate my recipes, be indulgent if you see syntax errors and do not hesitate to leave me a comment so I can correct it. I hope you will like my recipes and enjoy your visit to my food blog!

Potato and Cheese Pie Recipe