'It's my death row dinner': How potato bake became one of our official Aussie dishes
I didn't grow up in a household where potato bake was on the menu very often – it was more of a special dish on the table at a BBQ or dinner at someone else's house.
When I met my now-husband, during our first Christmas together I watched as he and his sister almost stabbed each other with forks, fighting over the last crispy bits inside the potato bake dish.
It dawned on me that for some families, it is a very important staple.
Potato bake is one of those dishes that has become uniquely Australia, with good reason.
Now at any family gathering with his side of the family, there's a potato bake – or two – to feed the masses, and over time tweaks have been made to perfect it.
This made me realise you were either the kind of family that had the iconic dish, or one where it was never on the menu.
I was recently telling my best friend about this, and she has memories of a potato bake only rolling out once a year – yet for other friends, it takes pride of place on the table almost weekly.
While my husband's family may be passionate about potato bake, a quick poll of the nine.com.au office confirmed they aren't the only ones.
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A plate of cheesy, thinly sliced potatoes, say no more! Getty
'It's my death row dinner'
"My aunty makes the best potato bake, which of course has bacon bits in it. It's a staple at any of our family gatherings, so much so there's often uproar from the cousins if it's not on the menu," said one nine.com.au writer.
Another echoed this, saying, "I have nothing to add outside of the fact that potato bake is a god tier food."
"My mum's potato bake could fix all my problems, if it's not at the Christmas table I will riot," said another.
"It's my death row dinner, for sure. The key is thinly sliced potatoes so that everything crisps up really nicely.
"I don't hate the inclusion of bacon and spring onions and all the bells and whistles, but I just reckon let the potato, cream and cheese do all the talking. A little nutmeg doesn't go astray for some Christmas pizzazz."
"Potato bake is a fan favourite dish in my house! It always goes down a charm," said another colleague.
When it comes to potato bake, every Aussie has their own secret addition to amp up the flavour. Getty
"The secret for us is adding fresh and finely-chopped spring onions and a French onion soup mix to add that extra kick of flavour, and baking the cheese on top until it's golden brown and crunchy. Delicious!"
Putting a gourmet spin on a classic
Potato bake has become one of those dishes someone in the family is known for, generally for the addition of their own secret combination of flavours.
A packet of French onion soup mix is an essential part of the dish for many.
But others have ventured out, adding gourmet flavours like bacon, spring onions, diced onion, fresh herbs, combinations of different cheeses or even the controversial addition of different vegetables.
On occasion, my sister-in-law will alternate layers of sweet potato and normal potatoes – much to my husband's disgust.
Others add a good sprinkle of breadcrumbs on top to add that extra crunch on the golden top layer of cheese.
Where did potato bake come from?
The roots of potato bake are far more fancy than throwing a packet of dehydrated soup mix into some thickened cream and pouring that over your sliced potatoes.
For those outside of Australia, you may know potato bake as scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin or potatoes a la dauphinois.
The dish originated in France, with the original version sprinkled with grated gruyère cheese and dotted with butter.
Potato bake originated in France, but it's become uniquely Australian over time. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The recipe then went international, popping up in America, where there was a boom in potatoes and where it got the new name of 'scalloped potatoes'.
It wasn't long before it travelled Down Under, and we're known for using the more budget-friendly topping of cheddar or tasty cheese.
So, whether you're staying true to the traditional French roots, or whacking tasty cheese and breadcrumbs on top, one thing is for sure – Aussies have taken the potato bake and made it our own.
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