Chicory with cheese and potato crust

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• n. B. Chicory, approx. 4 – 6, depending on size and hunger
• medium-sized potatoes, approx. 2 – 3, coarsely grated
• 3 tbsp herb cream cheese
• 1 tbsp milk
• 150 g grated cheese (mountain cheese, Gouda or Emmental)
• 2 clove(s) garlic, squeezed
• salt and pepper
• some sugar
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• Oil for the mold

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes

an underrated vegetable – vegetarian, as a main course or side dish

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese with a little milk until smooth. Mix in the grated potatoes, grated cheese, garlic, a little salt (be careful because of the cheese), pepper, and lemon juice. Remove the outer leaves from the chicory and halve it lengthwise. If you don’t like it too bitter, you can cut out the stalk in a wedge shape (but I don’t find it unpleasant and like it that way). Place them in an oiled baking dish, ideally fitting snugly (so they won’t fall over). Brush with olive oil, season with a little salt and sugar, and drizzle with a little lemon juice. Spread the potato and cheese mixture over the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C (top/bottom heat) on the middle rack for about 40 minutes. If necessary, turn on the broiler for another 5 minutes to lightly brown the top. The potato crust will be nice and crispy, and the chicory will still be a bit firm to the bite. A little tip: Let it stand for 10 minutes after baking, because it’s incredibly hot! If you absolutely cannot do without meat, serve it with briefly fried meat (e.g. pork fillet) or mix some ham into the potato mixture.