MINI POTATO GRATINS
This meal features a delicious combination of ingredients – cheesy mini potato gratins, juicy pan fried steak and a caramelised onion salad.
The potato gratins are the real show stopper though. Unlike other potato gratin recipes, this one doesn’t use cream. I’ve gone with cream cheese instead (more flavour, less calories!), which gets melted together with cheddar cheese, a little garlic butter and some chicken stock.
Toss the potatoes in that tasty mixture and spoon (or use your hands – messy but easy!) into a muffin tin.
They cook in just 25 minutes, which is much faster than full size gratins, and reheat beautifully. If you need a special side for Christmas dinner, I feel like these could be a strong contender.
The caramelised onion and asparagus salad is also worth a mention. Great flavours and textures! You can easily swap out the asparagus for beans, if you prefer.
Round out this meal with a juicy piece of beef rump steak, although sausages would work just as well. Enjoy!
MINI POTATO GRATINS
This meal features cheesy mini potato gratins, with juicy pan fried steak and a caramelised onion and asparagus salad. All very delicious, but the gratins definitely steal the show!
Ingredients
MINI POTATO GRATINS
- Cooking oil spray
- 650 g potatoes, i.e. Agria (1lb 7oz)
- 100 g cream cheese (3.5oz)
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (75g)
- 25 g garlic butter (0.9oz)
- 1 tsp chicken or vegetable stock powder
- 3 Tbsp hot water
SALAD
- 2 brown onions
- 1 bunch asparagus (250g/8.8oz)
- 4 tsp garlic butter, divided
- 1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
- 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 60 g baby spinach (2.1oz)
- 100 g feta cheese (3.5oz) (optional)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
STEAK AND SEEDS
- 550 g beef rump steak (1lb 3oz)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
Instructions
MAKE POTATO GRATINS
Preheat oven to 190ºC (375ºF) fan bake and lightly grease a 12-hole muffin pan with cooking oil spray. Peel potatoes and slice into thin rounds. Place cream cheese, cheddar and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in short bursts, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Dissolve stock powder in hot water and add to mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add potatoes to cheese mixture and toss to coat. Divide between muffin tin holes. Bake for 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender and gratins are golden brown. Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes.
PREPARE SALAD INGREDIENTS
Thinly slice onions. Trim woody ends off asparagus, then cut each asparagus spear into three pieces.
COOK STEAK & SEEDS
Rub steak with oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan on medium-high. Toast seeds for a couple of minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from pan and set aside. Cook steak for 3 minutes each side (for medium-rare), then transfer to a board, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.
MAKE SALAD
While steak cooks, melt 2 teaspoons butter in a medium frying pan on medium heat. Add onions, 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and sugar. Cook until lightly caramelised (5 minutes), then add asparagus and remaining 2 teaspoons butter and cook for a further 5 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat and toss with spinach, crumbled feta (if using), remaining tablespoon balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
SERVE
Slice steak into strips, if desired. Scoop out the gratins and divide between serving plates. Serve with steak and salad. Sprinkle sunflower seeds over salad.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: A Cabernet Sauvignon.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use gluten-free stock powder. Otherwise this meal is naturally gluten-free.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: If you don’t like asparagus, you can use green beans instead. Beef steak could be swapped for any type of sausages (bake in the oven with the potato gratins, for about the same length of time).
STORING AND REHEATING: Potato gratins reheat well. Store in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or oven, until hot. Steak is best cooked fresh. Salad can be eaten cold or warmed in the microwave.
