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St. Patrick’s Day may have bigger celebrations this year, as it falls on a Saturday. I’m sure that some people are excited to know that the day after the holiday is Sunday, which means a day for recovery. However, as a person who enjoys cooking, I look at the Saturday placement as having the ability to spend more time cooking before the celebration.
Of course, I hadn’t thought about cooking other than the evening meal until I saw this recipe. Why save the Irish food for dinner? A little bit of Irish for breakfast or brunch would make a great start to the day. One idea would be to make this Potato-Apple-Butter Bake that comes from the Cork Butter Museum.
No Irish meal would be complete without a healthy dose of potatoes, and this casserole, by way of Peter Foynes, director of the Cork Butter Museum in Cork City, is perfect for a morning or midday gathering. The secret is to toss the potatoes with butter just before baking.
- 4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
- 4 large cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
- 6 slices Irish breakfast bacon, chopped
- 6 Tb. salted Irish butter
- Chopped fresh chives for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter an 11- x 7-inch ovenproof baking dish. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes for about 8 minutes or until slightly tender. Add the apples and cook for 5 minutes longer or until the potatoes and apples are tender. Remove from the heat and drain.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for 7–9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Melt the butter in the same skillet, add the potatoes and apples, and toss well to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to the prepared dish and top with the bacon. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is browned.
- To serve, divide the mixture onto plates and sprinkle with chives.
