At the end of the week, there are often leftovers in the fridge that weren't used when preparing meals over the past days. Following the 'zero waste' principle, we can use them to create a tasty dish that will taste a little different each time, depending on what is left in the fridge. Let’s call it the 'End of the Week' casserole.
Time to clean out the fridge! Let’s get to work.
Ingredients
5 potatoes
Some oil for frying
White parts of two leeks
2-3 carrots
Any other vegetables, e.g., green peas, green beans, zucchini, ...
Any sausage, ham, or hot dogs
1 teaspoon of butter
200 g of cheese (any type)
50 g of mozzarella cheese
Fresh dill, coriander, parsley
Red onion
Béchamel Sauce
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of flour
1 cup of milk
Salt and white pepper
Nutmeg
Preparation
Boil the potatoes. If you have leftover potatoes from the previous day, slice them thinly. If you are using fresh potatoes, peel them and cook them in salted water for about 15-20 minutes, until they are soft but not overcooked.
Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the chopped red onion for about 5 minutes, until it becomes soft and translucent.
Add the chopped leek and any other leftover vegetables, such as peas, green beans, or zucchini. Simmer everything together on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are al dente, i.e., slightly crunchy.
In a separate pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil and fry the sausage, ham, or hot dogs (or all of these ingredients together) until they become lightly golden. Fry for about 5-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel sauce. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of flour and whisk for about 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth and slightly browned.
Gradually pour in half a cup of milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Then, add the remaining milk and stir until the sauce starts to thicken.
Cook the sauce for about 5-7 minutes until it reaches a thick cream-like consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Remove the sauce from the heat.
Grease a baking dish with a spoonful of butter to prevent the casserole from sticking.
Layer the cooked potatoes at the bottom of the dish, then add the sautéed vegetables.
Pour the prepared béchamel sauce over everything, and sprinkle with chopped fresh dill, parsley, or coriander.
Top the casserole generously with grated yellow cheese and add pieces of mozzarella.
Place the casserole in the oven preheated to 200°C and bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden and slightly crispy.