If you've never had the cheese and onion crisp bakes from Marks and Spencer, you are missing a trick. They've not paid me to write this, in fact they most likely have no clue who I am, but I must say, Mr Marks and Mr Spencer: good job on the crisp bakes (side note: they are both very definitely long dead, but my appreciation still stands).
If you live in a country that doesn't have M&S, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about, so let me explain what exactly I mean by cheese and onion crisp bakes. They're basically cheesy potato cakes that are breaded and cooked until they're nice and crispy, and they are heaven on earth.
Cheese + potato + onion... there was no way that wasn't going to be a winner.
I love to occasionally indulge in one of M&S's finest, but since I apparently like to torture myself, I thought I'd have a go at making my own homemade cheese and onion crisp bakes too. It's definitely not something I'll do regularly, since it's much more labour intensive than just opening a packet - but, it was a fun way to spend the morning nonetheless, and this recipe will hopefully bring the wonder that is a cheese and onion crisp bake to a few of you who may not have tried them before.
Let's break it down a word at a time.
Cheese - you want to use something nice and melty to help stick everything together. A good old British mature cheddar is ideal.
Onion... well, that's just onion.
Crisp - start by frying the crisp bakes quickly until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. This makes them nice and crispy, and adds loads of flavour (let's face it, fried things taste great).
Bake - finish them off in the oven until they're piping hot all the way through.
I only made six crisp bakes, but they were a little on the large side, and if I'm entirely honest, I did eat a fair amount of the cheesy mashed potato straight from the pan (stop judging me), so if you have a little more self-restraint I reckon you could easily stretch the mixture to make 8.
I made half of my crisp bakes with fancypants panko breadcrumbs, and half with plain old breadcrumbs that I bought in a tub, and to be entirely honest I didn't notice much difference once they were cooked (my palate is obviously not refined enough) - so just use whatever you have on hand.
Then just dig in and enjoy the cheesy, creamy, oniony mash and crispy breadcrumbs...
I bloomin' love a cheese and onion crisp bake.
Homemade cheese and onion crisp bakes
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 900 g potatoes (~ 3 large potatoes)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 large onions, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 200 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 2 ⅔ cups when grated)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 50 g plain flour (~ ⅓ cup)
- 80 g panko breadcrumbs (~ 1 cup)
- 2 eggs
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes, and cut them into 2cm chunks (you can peel them first if you prefer; I didn't bother). Boil them in a large pan of water for around 10 minutes, or until soft.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook over a medium-low heat for around 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until very soft.
- When the potatoes are soft, drain them and mash thoroughly. Add the cooked onions, grated cheese, and plenty of salt and pepper, and mix well until the cheese has melted. If you have time, allow to cool for half an hour (it makes the mash easier to shape, but don't worry if you don't have time).
- To prepare for breading, place the flour in a wide bowl or deep plate, and do the same with the breadcrumbs in a separate dish. Lightly beat the eggs in a wide bowl.
- Using your hands, shape around an eighth of the potato mixture into a patty, and coat it in the flour. Next, coat it in the beaten egg, shaking off any excess, then cover it in breadcrumbs. Place it on a plate or baking tray ready to be fried. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture.
- Once you've breaded all of the potato mixture, coat the bottom of a frying pan with oil, and place over a medium heat. When the oil is hot enough that it makes a breadcrumb sizzle, add the first batch of crisp bakes (I fried 3 at a time - don't overcrowd the pan). Cook for a few minutes until the underside is golden brown, then flip and repeat with the other side. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining crisp bakes. The crisp bakes may expand a little while baking, so don't leave too much space between them.
- When all of the crisp bakes have been fried on both sides, place in the oven and cook at 200°C (Gas Mark 6 / 400°F) for around 30 minutes, until piping hot and crispy.
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Note: nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is based on 8 crisp bakes.
If you'd prefer a less labour intensive potato dish, try my Indian spiced potato wedges instead (don't forget the dipping sauce!):
David Sherriff says
I tried these today but although they were OK when I fried them, when I baked them they went flat and spread out over the pan. Perhaps I should continue to fry them next time. Tasted great, though and I am not a vegetarian, but look for good recipes for my wife,
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Interesting! I do find that sometimes with cheesy things - as the cheese melts, they spread a bit. They worked fine for me though, strange! I'm glad they worked when fried - they taste so good :)
David Sherriff says
Sainsburys Glamorgan sausages spread like that in the oven. I don't think those from Tesco do, though.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Weird!
Carolyn says
I will definitely try these they sound great and as I have to have a potassium free diet I can easily adapt tnem to suit my diet but as I sometimes fell too ill to cook can these be frozen and the reheated
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Hi Carolyn, I haven't tried freezing these myself but I don't see why they couldn't be frozen - I say give it a try! Let me know how you get on :)
Charlie says
Becca: You are beautiful!
These patties sound so good that I will be making them very soon.
I loved Marks and Spencers! Unfortunately they pulled out of Canada years ago.
Another reason to move to England!
I have subscribed to your post.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Thank you so much Charlie! Not sure what brought on the random compliment but I'll take it! ;)
Charlie says
I read your bio and you referred to your ugly mug.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Ah ok! Well thanks! :)
Lorie says
These cheesy onion potato cakes look amazing as we love everything they are made of. I will be trying these recipes soon as I believe the Indian Spice potatoes will be a hit with my family as well.
Kerry at Kerry Cooks says
Ooh yes! I've never tried the M&S ones but I bet yours are even nicer! Hello panko breadcrumbs!
Claire @foodiequine says
The first thing I though when I saw the photo at the top of the post was "Ooooh these look like the ones you get at M&S" so you must have done a good job!!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Aw I hope so! :)
Janie says
Deliciousmessness!!! Sadly I can't indulge in the cheesey aspect of this dish, but my fella certainly can, and I know he would LOVE to have them all to himself :)
Am off to pin...
Janie x
Camilla says
Ooh, these crisp bakes look so gooey and yummy, my kids would love these:-)
Nadia's Healthy Kitchen says
They do sound like heaven on earth! I've never tried the M&S crisp bakes but I definitely want to try this recipe :D
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I used to eat so many of these when I was a vegetarian the last time. It is proper comfort food. I am going to have to try making them myself.