Papas Alfredo (Potatoes in Cheese Sauce)

No ratings yet

Boiled potatoes folded into a béchamel with parmesan, mozzarella and nutmeg, with bacon through it. Rich enough to be a main course rather than a side. Serves four.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Colombian

Keyword: Alfredo potatoes

Servings:

Calories: 494kcal

Author: Angela Giraldo

Ingredients

5 potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
4 tablespoons butter for the béchamel
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons wheat flour equal weight to the butter: that is what makes a roux
2 cups milk cold milk into a hot roux is what prevents lumps
½ teaspoon nutmeg the classic béchamel seasoning; grate it fresh if you can
½ cup parmesan cheese
¾ cup mozzarella cheese
¼ cup bacon, diced
Salt and pepper
Cilantro or parsley, to taste to finish

Instructions

Boil the cubed potatoes in salted water until just tender, then drain.
In a pan, melt the butter, add the onion and garlic and stir for a minute, then add the flour.
Stir for a minute to cook out the flour, then pour in the milk. Add the nutmeg and keep stirring until the sauce thickens and is smooth.
Add the parmesan and the mozzarella, stir, and cook for three more minutes over medium-low heat.
Meanwhile, in another pan, fry the bacon until golden. Add the cooked potatoes and stir.
Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and bacon and stir until everything is coated. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir once more and serve straight away, with cilantro or parsley over the top.

Notes

Steps two and three are a béchamel, and it behaves like one. Equal weights of butter and flour, cooked together for a minute so the flour loses its raw taste, then the milk added while stirring. Cold milk into a hot roux is the reliable way to avoid lumps. Boil the potatoes until just tender and no further: they get stirred into a sauce afterwards and overcooked ones break up into mash. The sauce thickens as it stands, so serve it straight away or loosen it with a splash of milk before it goes to the table.

Nutrition