Semi-dried tomato potato bake is a play on marry me chicken flavours. Layers of thinly sliced potatoes with a creamy tomato, thyme and parmesan sauce, then finished with a bubbling golden cheese top. The semi-dried tomatoes add a rich, slightly tangy flavour, while a pinch of chilli stops the sauce from feeling too heavy.
Other Vegetarian Potato Side Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Potato Bake
- Cheesy Stuffed Potatoes
- Creamy Potato Bake
- Crisp Smashed Potatoes
- Creamy Potato & Dill Salad
- Semolina Roast Potatoes
- Mashed Potato with Garlic & Thyme
- Potato & Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients for Potato Bake with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Potato layer: potatoes and oil for greasing the baking dish.
Creamy tomato sauce: semi-dried tomatoes, thickened cream, fresh or dried thyme, chilli flakes, salt, pepper, garlic and parmesan.
Cheese topping: grated cheese.
How to Make Creamy Tomato Potato Bake
- Preheat the oven and lightly grease a medium baking dish with butter.
- Peel the potatoes and slice them evenly, ideally using a mandoline. Keeping the slices a similar thickness helps them cook at the same rate. Arrange the potato slices in the prepared baking dish, overlapping them slightly as you go.
- Blend the semi-dried tomatoes, cream, thyme, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Blend until the tomatoes are smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant, taking care not to let it brown.
- Reduce the heat, then add the tomato cream mixture and parmesan. Stir gently until the parmesan has melted and the sauce is smooth and pourable. Pour the sauce evenly over the potatoes, making sure the top layer is well coated. Sprinkle over the grated cheese.
- Bake until the potatoes are completely soft and the cheese is golden. Rotate the dish halfway through cooking and cover loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly.
- Insert a fork or knife into the centre of the bake. It should slide through the potatoes without resistance. Leave the potato bake to rest before serving so the sauce can settle and the slices hold together more neatly.
What to Serve with Potato Bake
The semi-dried tomato potato bake is quite rich and goes well with BBQ chicken, BBQ lamb and pulled lamb. It’s delicious alongside corn, halloumi and chorizo salad, or for a full vegetarian meal serve with Greek salad or halloumi pumpkin salad.
Semi-dried Tomato Potato Bake FAQ
What are the best potatoes to use for potato bake?
Floury or all-purpose potatoes work best because they become tender while absorbing plenty of the creamy sauce. Avoid very waxy potatoes, as they can take longer to soften and may remain slightly firm.
Do I need to peel the potatoes?
Peeling gives the bake a smoother, more traditional texture, but it isn’t essential. Leave the skins on if they are thin and clean – less work and less waste, but they will add texture.
Can I use sun-dried tomatoes instead of semi-dried tomatoes?
Yes, although sun-dried tomatoes are usually firmer, saltier and more intensely flavoured. Drain them well and add a little less salt to the sauce until you have tasted it. I like the flavours of the semi-dried tomatoes – they are usually in a Mediterranean-style marinade that works with the flavours of this dish.
Why are my potatoes still hard?
The slices may be too thick, the dish may be packed too tightly, the type of potatoes may take longer to cook or the bake may simply need longer in the oven. Cover it loosely with foil and continue baking until a knife slides through the centre without resistance.
Can I leave out the chilli flakes?
Absolutely. They add gentle warmth rather than serious heat, but the bake will still have plenty of flavour without them. You can also adjust the quantity if you want more heat.
What cheese works best on top?
Cheddar is my go-to, as it’s always in the fridge. But any good melting cheese such as mozzarella, Colby or Gruyère also work well. You can also use a mixture, which is an excellent way to clear out the small cheese ends lingering in the fridge.
Feedback and More: Leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and comment below to let me know what you thought of the potato bake with semi-dried tomato sauce. Cheers, Elby!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like some of my other potato dishes and sides.
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Semi-dried Tomato Potato Bake
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Equipment
Ingredients
- oil spray
- 1 kg potatoes
- 125 grams semi-dried tomatoes
- 300 ml cream - thickened
- 2 tsp thyme - fresh, or ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp salt - flakes or kosher, ¾ tsp table salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 5 grams butter - unsalted
- 2 cloves garlic - finely chopped or minced
- 30 grams parmesan
- 100 grams cheese - grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ conventional | 160℃ fan forced and lightly grease a baking dish, approximately 18×23 cm.
- Peel and finely slice the potatoes to 3-4 mm thickness, I use a mandoline slicer. A knife is fine to, just make them uniform thickness. Layer the potato slices into the prepared baking dish.
- Using a stick blender or similar, blend the semidried tomatoes, cream, thyme, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Only blend until the tomatoes are smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula if necessary.
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low.
- Add the cream mix and parmesan and stir for a further minute until the sauce is runny and the parmesan has melted.
- Pour the sauce over the potatoes, making sure to coat the top layer. Sprinkle with the grated cheese.
- Bake for 1 hour, turn at the halfway mark. If the cheese starts to brown too much cover loosely with a piece of foil.Test with a fork to make sure the potatoes are cooked through – there should be zero resistance. Rest the bake for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
