Potato casserole with feta and pineapple

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g potatoes, about
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 grains of allspice
• 2 juniper berries
• 1 small onion(s), finely diced
• Salt
• 300 g minced meat
• 1 small zucchini
• olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• some cumin
• some parsley
• 2 tbsp natural yogurt
• some orange juice
• Paprika powder, hot
• Nutmeg, grated
• Basil, oregano, thyme
• 200 g cheese, grated
• 200 g pineapple pieces
• 200 g feta cheese or white cheese (made from cow’s milk), finely diced
• 200 ml sweet cream
• 2 cups sour cream (400 g total)
• 2 eggs
• Margarine for the mold
• Breadcrumbs for the mold
• n. B. water

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

Note: You’ll have to estimate how much you need for two layers of potato slices (so it might be a little more or a little less than stated). This depends on the casserole dish you use! Floating in the cooking water for the potatoes: 2 garlic cloves (whole, but pressed once with the edge of a large knife), the bay leaf, juniper berries, allspice, and 1 generous teaspoon of salt. Cook the potatoes in the seasoned water with their skins on until tender. Then peel and slice. In the meantime, finely dice or press the third garlic clove and dice the zucchini (not too large). Fry the zucchini cubes in hot olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and remove. Fry the minced meat and diced onion in the frying fat until crisp, then add the garlic and sweat briefly. Add the tomato paste and season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Add the zucchini cubes and parsley. Mix the yogurt and orange juice (enough to make the sauce slightly sweet) and season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Then add the mixture to the minced meat and zucchini mixture and mix well. Whisk the sour cream, sweet cream, and eggs together (best with an electric hand mixer) and season well with salt, pepper, paprika, nutmeg, oregano, basil, and thyme. Preheat the oven to approximately 200°C. Grease and crumble a baking dish and place a layer of potato slices in it. Spread the minced meat and zucchini mixture and half of the feta cubes on top. Place the second layer of potato slices on top. Spread the pineapple cubes and the remaining feta cheese on top. Pour the sauce over the dish and sprinkle with some grated cheese to finish. Bake for approximately 1 hour at 180–200°C. The actual baking time depends on your oven. It’s best to check the casserole’s doneness regularly. Since I have a rather low-power oven, it usually takes about an hour. A semi-dry, fruity white or rosé wine pairs perfectly with this dish, and the casserole also makes a great lunch or dinner reheated the next day.