Potato Pocket with Ground Meat & Cheese
DinnerMain CoursesEuropean

Potato Pocket with Ground Meat & Cheese

Recipe by AlexPrep: 15 minCook: 15 minTotal: 30 minServes 2Easy

A folded potato pancake filled with browned ground meat and melted cheddar. Two potatoes are shaved paper-thin on a slicer, cut into strips and bound with a batter of eggs, plain yogurt and a spoonful of flour, plus finely diced onion and a clove of garlic. The base cooks under a lid for 10 minutes while the meat browns in a second pan and takes the cheddar. The filling goes over one half, the potato folds over it, and 5 more minutes under the lid keeps the cheese molten. About 15 minutes at the stove; serves 2.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Shave 2 potatoes (about 350 g) paper-thin on a slicer. Stack a few slices at a time and cut them into strips — strips, not grated potato, so they cook into layers.

  2. 2

    Put the strips into a bowl with a spoonful of salt and enough water to cover, so they do not turn brown while you make the batter.

  3. 3

    In a separate bowl whisk 2 eggs with 3 tbsp plain yogurt, ⅓ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp flour until smooth.

  4. 4

    Drain the potatoes well — extra water makes hot oil spit. Pour the batter over them and work it through, right down to the bottom of the bowl.

  5. 5

    Finely dice 1 onion (two skewers laid alongside stop the knife cutting right through, which keeps the onion together for the crosswise cuts) and finely chop 1 clove of garlic. Mix both into the potatoes.

  6. 6

    Heat a pan, then keep the heat moderate. Coat it with a little vegetable oil, add the potato mixture and spread it into one even layer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes — the steam softens the middle while the underside browns slowly.

    10:00
  7. 7

    Meanwhile heat a second, dry pan until a few drops of water bead up and glide around, then add a little oil. Add 200 g ground meat in small pieces spaced apart, salt it lightly and leave it untouched for 3–4 minutes to build a browned crust.

    04:00
  8. 8

    Once the crust is there, stir and cook the meat through. Add 100 g grated cheddar (up to 200 g for extra cheesy) and stir until it melts into the meat.

  9. 9

    Uncover the potato — it will look pale on top; the colour is underneath. Spread the cheesy meat over one half and fold the other half over it.

  10. 10

    Cover and cook for 5 more minutes so the cheese stays molten. Slide onto a board, cut and serve.

    05:00

Watch the video

Play: Potato Pocket with Ground Meat & Cheese

Notes from our kitchen

Fifteen minutes works only because two things happen at once: the potato base cooks covered in one pan while the meat browns in the other. The slicer matters more than anything else — paper-thin slices cut into strips cook through in that time and set into visible layers, where grated potato turns to mush and thick slices stay raw in the middle. A base this thick browns outside long before it softens inside, so the fix is moderate heat plus a lid: the underside colours slowly and the steam does the rest. Drain the soaked potatoes properly before the batter goes on, or the water thins the batter and makes the oil spit. For the meat, resist stirring: small pieces spaced apart fry instead of steaming, and three to four minutes untouched builds the browned crust that carries the flavour. Preheat the second pan dry until water drops bead and glide, then oil it — on stainless steel that is what stops the meat sticking. The filling is generous for the size of the pancake; fold gently with a wide spatula.

Variations

  • Extra cheesy. Double the cheddar to 200 g (6 oz), as the video suggests, or mix cheddar with mozzarella for more stretch.
  • Different filling. Use ground chicken or turkey, or swap the meat for sautéed mushrooms and spinach for a vegetarian pocket — keep the cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I grate the potatoes instead of slicing them?

You can, but the result is closer to a hash brown. Thin slices cut into strips cook into layers that hold the pocket together and show when you cut it open.

I do not have a slicer — what then?

Use a vegetable peeler or the slicing side of a box grater to get near-paper-thin slices. With a knife the slices are thicker, so add a few minutes under the lid.

Why is my potato base raw in the middle?

The heat was too high or the lid was off. Keep it moderate and covered for the full 10 minutes — the steam is what softens the centre.

How do I store and reheat it?

Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a covered pan over low heat for a few minutes per side so the cheese melts again and the outside crisps back up.

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