“It’s a mashed potato well filled with gravy and delicious toppings.”
It looked like a mashed potato cake to me. It could be served as snack for tea, a side for dinner, and even a main for lunch. Homemade cheesy mashed potato is delicious.
I used the store-bought gravy pack which needed some assembly to be done. From Ikea food market. Yes, just to try out. It was tasty, indeed. (*Actual pic of the cream sauce pack was posted in my Instagram or FB page’s comment)
This recipe was created simply because I had leftover bacon and asparagus in my refrigerator. Hence, the making of mashed potato which I could think of at that point of time. So as to try the cream sauce, in this case.
Ingredients
3 medium sized potatoes
2 tablespoons of *pasta cheese (ready pack, store-bought. See actual pic of the packet in my Instagram or FB page)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
Pinch of coarsely grounded black pepper
For Toppings:
1/4 cup of asparagus, cut into bits
1 teaspoon of cooking oil
Tiny bit of salt and black pepper
1/4 cup of sliced bits (from 2 bacon slices)
1 teaspoon of sugar
For Gravy
Cream sauce powder (from Ikea food market store.)
280ml of water
70ml of cooking cream
1 teaspoon of cornstarch, mixed with water into slurry
Instructions
Peel potatoes. Cut into smaller pieces. Wrap in aluminum foil. Air-fry at 180deg Celsius for 20 minutes or until potatoes turn soft.
Place piping hot potatoes into a mixing bowl. Add butter, cheeses, garlic salt and black pepper, mash together with potatoes until smooth and creamy. I used a fork to get it done easily (*See below video)
Prepare toppings: Cut sliced bacons into bits. Place in a small porcelain or metal bowl (or any bowl which can withstands heat) and mix in sugar.
In another heat-resistant bowl, place asparagus bits. Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Mix well.
Place two of these bowls into air fryer mesh basket. Air fry at the same time at 180deg Celsius for 10-20 minutes. At about 10 minutes of air-frying, pause and open up to check if the asparagus is cooked. Remove it, when it’s done. Reserve for later.
Assembly cream sauce gravy: Pour water into a pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Empty packet of cream sauce powder, stir to dissolve. Mix in cooking cream and simmer for 3 minutes. To thicken the sauce, stir in cornstarch slurry. Heat off. Set aside.
Plating: Scope mashed potato into a small bowl. Gently press to the bowl to mould. Top over onto a serving dish. Remove bowl. If it sticks, use a dinner knife to slide the sides of the bowl to loosen. Then, use the base of the same bowl to lightly press on top of the mashed potato to create a well in the middle. Gently remove the bowl to minimize sticking. (*See short video demonstration)
Pour gravy into the well of the mashed potato. Add toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
Tips
I air-fried both my toppings of bacon bits and asparagus bits at the same time, just to save time. As asparagus requires shorter cooking time, I had to open up the air fryer drawer to check its doneness. In any case, if you do not have two bowls which are able to fit into the air fryer at the same time, or prefer to cook them separately, please go ahead. Temperature remains, with cooking time varies.
As for bacon, air-fry longer for more crispness. It can also be done on stove.
Same to potatoes. I used air fryer to cook and soften them. You may choose to boil them, if desired.
I liked thicker and smoother gravy. If you prefer watery type, omit addition of cornstarch slurry.
