Crunchy, Crispy, Cheesy ... and oh so tasty!

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While this Potato Crisp recipe calls for Havarti cheese, it could actually be made with any type of soft cheese you choose. Make it as a side for your Thanksgiving dinner or a treat while watching a football game. (Herald Photo by Adam Nekola)

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I was pleasantly surprised when I decided to make a potato that would be delicious and different for a fall recipe.

Why was I surprised?

These potatoes are good any time of the year and with any meal of the day.

My inspiration for this dish is Potatoes Anna. Potatoes Anna is a French dish that basically involves layers of potatoes with butter in between each layer. These are delicious and crispy.

I wanted to make a potato that was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

The next obstacle for me was what to call this dish. I settled on Potato Crisp. Not too exciting, I know. 
Potato Crisp is a great dish to serve with any kind of meat.

The first step in preparing this dish is to slice the potatoes. If you have a Mandolin, this works best. You will want the potatoes to all be about the same thickness.

I bought my Mandolin at Walmart. It was around $10. There are more-expensive ones, but for my purposes, this one is fine.

Just remember that the blade is very sharp. I have a scar on my fingertip to prove it!

If you do not have a mandolin, then slice the potatoes about 1/8 inch thick.

You may be tempted to have more than three layers of potatoes. Three layers is the right serving amount for eight slices.  It also holds together better than if you had extra layers. It also is easier to cut.
The Potato Crisp cuts easiest with a pizza cutter.

I baked my Potato Crisp in a cast iron skillet. This dish can be made in any skillet that is oven safe.
It is important to run a knife or rubber spatula around the sides of the Crisp before unmolding it. I also take a spatula and gently run it on the pan just to make sure that nothing is sticking.

When the Potato Crisp is done, it will be crispy and easy to unmold and serve in pie wedges.  It is crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

The cheese enhances the potatoes’ flavor and the fresh dill is a welcome addition.

I use about two tablespoons of Havarti cheese per layer. Too much cheese will overpower this dish.
The Havarti is a soft cheese, so you will need to take a little time to actually spread it over the layer of potatoes. It clumps, so you will need to break it apart as you distribute it over the layer.

Using fresh dill really adds another layer of flavor to this dish. Fresh dill is readily available in the grocery store all year.

You can also the buy havarti cheese with dill. This cheese is very good, and would also be very good in this dish. I enjoy using the fresh dill for the added flavor.

Havarti is a Danish cheese made from cow’s milk. It can be sliced, melted or grilled.  It is a buttery cheese that is somewhat sweet.

You may find that you really like this cheese and will use it in other ways, too.  It is also good sliced and put on crackers.

Havarti is a medium-priced cheese. Other cheeses would be good in this dish also. You may want to experiment with some of the other soft cheeses available at the store.

For me, I’ll stick with the Havarti. Why change something that already tastes so good?

When assembling the Potato Crisp, remember that the bottom layer is the layer that you see. You may want to take extra time to ensure that this layer looks especially nice.

The Potato Crisp is really good with any meal. It would be a nice addition to a breakfast or brunch, dinner or lunch.

While you can serve it with almost any type of meat, you might not want to serve it with fried chicken or any meat that is fried.  This just may be too many artery-clogging foods at one meal.

Once you prepare this crisp, you will want to make it again. If you’ve never tried Havarti cheese, you will be hooked.

This dish is so different and tasty that you will be tempted to serve it often.

And remember, …a good cook always cleans up!

POTATO CRISP

3 TB butter

7 large russet potatoes, peeled

1  teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

4 TB Havarti cheese

4 tsp. fresh dill

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Melt butter on stove top or in microwave until it is a consistency good for brushing.

Slice 6 or 7 russet potatoes to about 1/8-inch thickness. Pour 2 tablespoons butter into a 12-inch skillet. Line the skillet with a layer of potato slices, letting them slightly overlap one another. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons Havarti and 2 tsp. dill. Repeat, adding another layer of salt, potatoes and cheese. On final layer, butter with 1 tablespoon of butter and sprinkle with pepper.

Bake for 50 minutes to one hour.

Run a rubber spatula around the edges to loosen and invert onto large plate.

Slice into wedges and serve warm.

If you do not feel that the potatoes are as brown as you would like, increase oven temperature to 500 degrees and bake an additional 10 minutes.

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