Scalloped Potato Roll

By Julie Schulz The Woman Today

Well,always up for a cooking challenge, I dove into this dish expecting it to have its complications, but was surprised to find it wasn’t that hard — just putsy. There are lots of steps and prep-as-you-go, so be prepared to have many things going at once (potatoes in the oven, meat in one pan, spinach in another, all cooking at the same time!). If you like “easy,” this probably isn’t for you, but if you’re ready for the challenge, then by all means go for it! The directions are easy to follow, and I’ll offer these “observations:”

1. My potatoes split apart when I rolled it, so I thought maybe use more Parmesan cheese both underneath and on top of the potatoes to really make a good solid, connective base that really sticks everything together. Perhaps I didn’t overlap my potatoes enough, too, it’s hard to know for sure why it split.

2. The potato “bottom” also seemed soggy or greasy, I’m guessing from the cheese, so perhaps it should have baked longer — or maybe it would’ve helped to pat the potato slices dry before arranging them on the pan.

3. Be sure to drain the tomatoes and squeeze out any juice from the wilted spinach. I forgot to drain the tomatoes, so my meat mixture was quite wet and I knew that couldn’t be good for the roll, so I tilted the pan to separate the juice.

4. I would’ve liked a bigger punch of spice. I love Italian flavors, and my heart expected it to taste like that, but without basil or an Italian seasoning, of course it wouldn’t and it seemed like it needed more kick. Maybe just more pepper? Of course, my spices might have been left behind in the juice in the pan!

5. Finally, I accidentally put in double the amount of spinach. I read the “serving size/servings per bag” wrong and used two bags, which was the equivalent of 12 cups. However, I don’t think that made a difference in the end. But I would suggest that you squeeze the juice out of the wilted spinach as best you can, too, before adding it to the ricotta.

6. After baking the roll in the oven for 15 minutes, it didn’t appear browned enough, so instead of keeping it in the oven longer, I put it under the broiler to get that crispy golden top.

The finished Scalloped Potato Roll looks massive on a serving platter, but it sliced well and easily transferred to a plate, and the leftovers reheated very nicely. It says it serves eight and I can believe that! Start this about two hours before serving time — slicing those potatoes so thin was time-consuming. D

Scalloped Potato Roll

Ingredients for 8 servings

6 potatoes, peeled

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided

3 teaspoons salt, divided

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 sweet onion, diced

1 pound ground beef

14½-oz can diced tomatoes, drained

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, divided

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon pepper

6 cups spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a knife or mandolin, cut the potatoes into slices one-eighth-inch thick.

3. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese and spread until it is evenly covering the parchment paper.

4. Place the potatoes over the Parmesan so each potato is overlapping the previous potato both vertically and horizontally. Continue until the entire pan is filled with potatoes.

5. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan evenly over the potatoes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and the potatoes are flexible and slightly crispy.

6. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions, and cook until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

7. Add the beef, breaking it up and mixing with the onion until cooked. Mix in the drained tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of parsley, paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Stir, cooking until the beef is browned and cooked through. Remove from heat.

8. In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach, cook until wilted. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the garlic. Stir to combine. Remove from heat.

9. In a bowl, combine the spinach mixture and the ricotta.

10. Evenly spread the spinach mixture over the cooked potato sheet.

11. Evenly spread the beef mixture over the spinach. Sprinkle mozzarella over the beef.

12. Take one end of the potato sheet and, holding the parchment paper, begin rolling upward, making sure the ingredients are not coming out the ends.

13. Once it is completely rolled, place the potato roll on the parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.

14. Sprinkle with parsley for garnish. Slice and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of tasty.co/recipe/scalloped-potato-roll.