Creamy Potato & Pumpkin Bake

This recipe for Creamy Potato & Pumpkin Bake is the ultimate comfort food side dish. It’s easy to make and combines the creamy texture of potatoes with the sweet taste of pumpkin, layered with cream, garlic and thyme. With just a few ingredients and simple steps, you’ll have a delicious dish everyone will love.

A potato bake never fails to impress when served up at our dinner table. Over the years, I’ve made numerous variations, with the kids each time saying, “You’ve made it different again, Mum!”.

This version combines layers of potato and pumpkin with a luscious cream, garlic, and thyme, with a superbly golden cheesy crust. The secret ingredient that I use to make this so tasty is adding a little chicken stock powder. It adds a depth of flavour without the need for extra salt.

You can choose to do with only potatoes or perhaps add some sweet potato. If you need a vegetarian or gluten-free version, simply swap the chicken stock powder for a vegetable alternative such as Vegeta, which is gluten-free.

Expert tips

• Use a Mandolin: If you have a mandolin, take advantage of it to speed up the slicing process and keep the vegetables uniform. However, if you prefer or don’t own one, cutting by hand works perfectly.
• Start with a Potato Layer: Begin with a layer of potato as it holds together better than pumpkin, making it easier to serve.
• Grease the Dish: Don’t forget to spray your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, such as canola, to make for easier cleanup.
• Sprinkling: When adding garlic, thyme, stock powder, and pepper, sprinkle them from a high distance above the bake. This Jamie Oliver trick ensures even distribution.
• Foil and Baking Paper “Lid”: Create a foil and baking paper “lid” to trap steam and prevent excessive browning. Spray one side of a foil sheet with non-stick cooking spray, place a smaller sheet of baking paper on top, and position it over the dish, pressing tightly around the edges for a secure seal.
• Serving Size: The recipe is portioned for 6 servings, offering a decent size. If you’re serving additional sides, you might stretch it to serve up to 8 people.

Creamy Potato & Pumpkin Bake

Layers of potato and sweet pumpkin drizzled with rich luscious cream, garlic and thyme finished off with a golden layer of cheese! Perfect to serve alongside your favourite meals – this side dish is definitely a crowd pleaser.

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Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Rest:10 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Australian

Keyword: Best Side Dishes, Potatoe Side

Servings: 6

Author: Feed Me Kate

Equipment

• 2 Litre (8 cup capacity) oven proof baking dish

Ingredients

• 600g potatoes, thinly sliced (See Notes)
• 600g pumpkin, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
• 1 cup thickened cream
• ³⁄₄ cup grated fresh tasty cheese, (See Notes)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180℃. Spray an 2-litre capacity (8 cup) baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Layer one third of the potatoes of the base of the prepared dish then layer over a half of the pumpkin. Sprinkle over half each of the chopped garlic, thyme leaves and chicken stock powder. Season well with cracked black pepper.
• Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the thickened cream then repeat layering process finishing off with a potato layer. Pour remaining cream evenly over the top.
• Take a sheet of foil that is larger than the dish your using. Spray with the middle section with non-stick cooking spray. Top with a smaller piece of baking paper that will just cover with top of the dish. Turn foil upside down so baking paper is facing the bench. Place over the top of the dish and seal, pushing the foil around the edges of your dish. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. (use a fork or tip of knife inserted in to check)
• Remove from oven and top evenly with grated cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• COOKS NOTES:
  Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
  Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml and 1 cup =  250 ml.
  Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
  Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
  Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified.
• POTATOES
  You will need to use a starchy potato here, NOT waxy. It just doesn’t work well. I mainly use a “dirty” potato such as Sebago or Dutch cream but you can also use an all-rounder white washed potato. If using a washed potato you can peel or leave the skin on.
• CHEESE
  Pre-packaged cheese you purchase from the supermarket has a powder coating on it to stop it clumping together in the bag. Due to this, the cheese does not melt as well either. I like to freshly grate my cheese here to get an even good coverage.
   
• MAKE AHEAD
  You can make this recipe up to 1 day ahead. Bake as directed up to Step 4 then allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate until required. To reheat, preheat oven to 180 (160C fan forced). Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. Remove, top with cheese and bake for a further 20-25 mins or until cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Stand for 10 minutes before serving.