Potato casserole: Your go‑to comfort meal for busy nights

Potato casserole is one of those dishes that pleases both children and adults. Soft vegetables, delicious additions, and aromatic sauce make it especially tasty on cold, cloudy days. This dish is also incredibly filling.

Potato casserole is not only delicious and filling but also perfect when you have less time to prepare dinner—it practically makes itself. All you need to do is plan mealtime and put it in the oven. It's also a zero-waste dish because you can use products you already have in the fridge as additions. Cheeses, other vegetables, and cold cuts work great with potatoes, which you can use when you're not planning a meatless dish. You can create a lot of delicious combinations.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz potatoes,
• 2.5 oz butter,
• salt and pepper to taste,
• oregano to taste,
• smoked paprika to taste, optional,
• 7 oz mushrooms,
• half a can of red beans,
• 7 oz mozzarella cheese,
• 2 onions,
• 1 cup heavy cream,
• 1 egg,
• a few sprigs of chives.

Instructions:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into moderately thick slices. Put them in salted boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Then drain and cool.
2. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Slice the onions into thin strips. Drain the beans from the liquid.
3. In a bowl, mix the cream with the egg. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a baking dish, layer the potatoes, then the mushrooms, onions, and beans. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with another layer of potatoes.
5. Pour the cream-based sauce over the casserole.
6. Grate the cheese with a coarse grater and sprinkle it over the casserole. Sprinkle everything with oregano and smoked paprika.
7. Bake the casserole at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
8. After baking, take the casserole out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled with chives.