Potato Chip Crust Savory Cheesecake #FoodieExtravaganza

This crunchy potato chip crust savory cheesecake makes a great main course for Sunday brunch or a light dinner.  It’s also pretty fabulous cold in a packed lunch the next day, if you are lucky enough to have leftovers.

This month my Foodie Extravaganza group is celebrating potato chips in anticipation of National Potato Chip Day, which is March 14. Our wonderful host Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories encouraged us to make a dish, sweet or savory, that includes potato chips or to make our own homemade potato chips.

I’ve adapted this recipe from a Warm Roquefort Cheesecake created by the great Delia Smith so I’ve kept “cheesecake” in the title, but I must confess that it strikes me more as a quiche than a cheesecake. The texture is light and definitely more on the eggy side. In fact, my husband came through the door after work, as it sat on the wire rack cooling and said, “Ohh, quiche for dinner.” “I know, right?” I had to reply.

Delia, Delia, Delia. Never mind. You are still one of my idols.

Potato Chip Crust Savory Cheesecake

I have made a couple of savory cheesecakes before and loved them. Both were appetizers, the first a Shrimp Cheesecake with Herbs and Spices,  the second a Savory Zucchini Cheesecake, baked in a Bundt pan. That’s why this recipe so appealed to me. Plus, I love blue cheese.

Ingredients
For the crust:
4 oz or 115g low salt potato chips
1 oz or 25g butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:
3 large eggs
3/4 cup or 200g full fat ricotta or cottage cheese
2/3 cup or 165g fromage frais (or sub full fat plain Greek yogurt)
3 spring onions, white and green parts, finely sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 oz  or 175g blue cheese (I used a Fourme d”Ambert AOP.)

Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C and line the bottom of a 9 in or 23cm round tart pan with baking parchment.

Put your potato chips in a thick plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Pour the crumbed chips into a small bowl with the melted butter and mix well.

Tip the mixture into your prepared pan and use your clean hands or the back of a spoon to spread it out over the bottom and ever so slightly up the sides of the tart pan. Press it down to compact it.

N.B. If your tart pan has a removable bottom, it would be wise to set it in another larger pan before you put it in the oven.

Bake the potato chip crust in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. You want a nice golden crust.

While that’s baking, you can get on with the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, fromage frais, spring onion and salt with a few good grinds of black pepper.

Don’t forget to keep checking the crust. When it is ready, remove it from the oven and set aside to cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F or 180°C.

Crumble the blue cheese with a fork and fold it into the egg mixture.

Carefully pour the filling into the tart pan and sprinkle a few more grinds of black pepper to the top, if desired.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the outside is set and the middle is just the slightest bit jiggly. It will firm up more as it cools.

Leave to cool for about 15-20 minutes. Delia serves her savory cheesecake aka quiche with poached pears but I wanted a little crunch to go along with mine. I made a small salad of fresh pears with walnuts and dried cranberries dressed with a maple syrup vinaigrette. You can find that recipe right here.

Delia is absolutely spot on about pears and blue cheese. They go together so nicely.

Slice and enjoy!

And make sure you check out all the other lovely potato chip recipes we have for you today. Many thanks to our host Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories.

• A College Throwback + Potato Chip-Crusted Chocolate Tart from Culinary Adventures from Camilla
• Baked BBQ Potato Chip Crusted Pork Chops from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• How to Make Homemade Sun Dried Potato Chips from Sneha's Recipe
• Potato Chip and Roasted Cashew Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Potato Chip Crusted Salt and Vinegar Baked Cod from Palatable Pastime
• Potato Chip Crust Savory Cheesecake from Food Lust People Love
• Pretzel and Potato Chip Cookies with Butterscotch Frosting from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Salty-Sweet Potato Chip Cookies from Hardly a Goddess
• The Potato Chip Sandwich from Our Good Life

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays, and we all post recipes using the same ingredient. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

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Cheesy Cauliflower Cake

As delicious as it is pretty, this cheesy cauliflower cake makes a beautiful addition to your Sunday Supper table. Vegetarians and omnivores alike are going to love it!

For my birthday last year dear friends gave me a digital subscription to delicious. magazine, published in the UK. Every single issue had me making a shopping list and jumping in the car within minutes of reading through its gorgeous (virtual) pages. Many of the recipes are original to the magazine but sometimes they are tied to a cookbook review. This cheesy cauliflower cake is adapted from Ottolenghi’s Plenty More. <Amazon affiliate link

Why did Ottolenghi call something so obviously savory a cake? Who’s to know? But I love that he stretches my imagination with both the possibilities of cake and creative vegetarian recipes. All too often, vegetarians have to make do with just side dishes at a dinner party, which is a shame. I believe we can do better than that and today Sunday Supper is out to prove me right.

The first time I made this cheesy cauliflower cake, I didn’t have purple onion so, while it was pretty and ever so tasty, my photos didn’t match the shots in delicious. magazine. I baked it again when I was visiting my vegetarian daughters and their mostly vegetarian crowd of friends, making sure to use the right onions. The photos still aren’t spectacular, as you can see, because I was in a borrowed kitchen. But, never mind. The cake is fabulous. Perfect for World Vegetarian Day on October 1st or any Sunday Supper or dinner party, especially when you have vegetarian guests.

Ingredients
5 tablespoons or 75 ml olive oil, plus extra for oiling the baking pan
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 small cauliflower, outer leaves removed, cut into 1 1/4-inch/3-cm florets (Mine weighed 1 lb or 450g)
1 medium purple onion, peeled

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
6 eggs
1 tablespoon basil leaves, chopped
1 cup or 125g flour, sifted
5 oz or 150g coarsely grated Parmesan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt and black pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C and prepare a 9 1/2-inch/24-cm spring-form cake pan by greasing it lightly.

Cut a circle of baking parchment to fit the bottom of the pan and press it in there. Cut a strip of baking parchment the circumference of the interior of your pan and press it in against the oiled sides. If it doesn’t stick very well, use some clothes pegs to hold it in place.

Brush the parchment on the sides with the melted butter and, holding the pan sideways, sprinkle on the sesame seeds so they stick to the parchment. Set your pan aside.

Can you skip this step and still have a delightful cheesy cauliflower cake? Absolutely. But look at how pretty it makes the sides turn out. Also, the sesame seeds give each outside bite a lovely crunch.

Place the cauliflower florets in a steaming basket in a pot with a couple of inches of water.  Steam, covered, over a medium heat until the florets are tender and will break if pushed with a spoon, about 10-12 minutes. Uncover the pot and lift the steaming basket out. Set aside to cool and dry.

Cut four round slices, each about 1/4 inch or 5 mm thick, off one end of the onion and set aside. We’ll use these for decorating the top before baking.

Coarsely chop the rest of the onion and place in a small pan with the oil and rosemary. Sauté for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the onion is soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Transfer the cooled onion to a large bowl, add the eggs and basil and whisk well.

Then add the flour, Parmesan, baking powder, turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt, and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Whisk until smooth before adding the cauliflower.  Stir gently, trying not to break up the florets too much.

Spoon the cauliflower mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly, and arrange the reserved onion rings on top. Once the thick batter is holding the parchment in place, you can remove the clothes pegs.

As previously mentioned, do try to use the purple onions. So much prettier - see photo below. 

Place in the center of your preheated oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and set; a knife inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave for at least 20 minutes before serving. Your cheesy cauliflower cake is best served warm but not hot.

Enjoy!

Are you looking for some tasty vegetarian recipes to celebrate World Vegetarian Day and Vegetarian Awareness Month the whole of October? Sunday Supper's got you covered! Many thanks to our event manager, Renee of Renee's Kitchen Adventures and our host this week, Susan of The Wimpy Vegetarian for all of their hard work!

Appetizers

• Citrus Marinated Olives by Cricket’s Confections
• Goat Cheese and Red Onion Quesadilla by The Freshman Cook
• Grilled Green Tomato and Mozzarella Salad by Monica’s Table
• Italian Lupini Beans by She Loves Biscotti
• Orange Ginger Carrot Soup by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Entrees

• Butternut Squash Zoodles with Fried Sage Sauce by Home Sweet Homestead
• Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant by Sunday Supper Movement
• Cheesy Cauliflower Cake by Food Lust People Love
• Chipotle Tofu Tacos with Plantain by Caroline’s Cooking
• Glazed Carrot and Quinoa Salad with Crispy Chickpeas by Helpful Homemade
• Green Goddess Mac and Cheese by Moore or Less Cooking
• Mujaddara by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta by Wholistic Woman
• Pumpkin Gnocchi and Spinach with Sage Brown Butter Sauce by The Redhead Baker
• Radical Reuben Sandwich by Palatable Pastime
• Roasted Delicata Squash with Sriracha Aioli by The Hungry Goddess
• Roasted Vegetable Casserole by A Mind "Full"Mom
• Spicy Tofu and Rice Stir Fry by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Strawberry Soba Noodle Salad by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Vegan Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Spinach by Cooking Chat
• Vegetarian Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Veggie Riggies: A Rigatoni Sauté by Hardly A Goddess

Sides

• Caramelized Onions and Cauliflower by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Cauliflower Tabbouleh with Chickpeas by Simple and Savory
• Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice by My Life Cookbook
• Locro de Papa (Ecuadorian Potato Soup) by Curious Cuisiniere
• South African Yellow Rice by What Smells So Good?
• Spiralized Sweet Potato and Apple Sauté with Dates by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Turmeric Hummus Casserole by Dizzy Busy and Hungry

Desserts

• Chocolate Orange Beet Cake by Baking Sense
• Chocolate Zucchini Cake by Mindy’s Cooking Obsession
• Make Your Children Eat Their Vegetables…in a Cupcake! by The Ninja Baker
• Zucchini Blueberry Coffee Cake by Pies and Plots

   

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Spicy Egg Biryani

Spicy egg biryani is the perfect balance of fragrant rice and mellow boiled eggs, great as a vegetarian main dish or as a side to be served with a meat-based curry.

Here in the United Arab Emirates, our weekend is Friday and Saturday, with Sunday being a normal working day. Most Fridays will find us out on the water in our Drascombe Longboat, a small single hull sailing vessel. It’s not fancy but is perfectly suited to day trips amongst the islands all around the bigger island of Abu Dhabi with a two-man (one dog) crew.

After a day in the sea, salt air and sun with friends, we return to shore and spend the evening sipping gin and tonic with those same friends and we almost invariably order curry for dinner. I am familiar with most of the dishes, typical Jalfreezis and Kormas and Vindaloos but egg biryani was a new one for me. Spicy rice with whole boiled eggs! Apparently it isn’t even on the menu so one just has to know to order it. And I’m so glad my friends did.

I wish my whole Sunday Supper family could join us out on the water someday but at least you can eat some egg biryani of a Friday evening. It’s got a lot of ingredients but don’t let that discourage you. It doesn’t take long to make and is so worth it.

Make sure you scroll on down to see all of the delicious egg recipes we are sharing today, along with our eggstraordinary host, Wendy of Wholistic Woman.

Recipe adapted from Swasthi's Recipes.

Serves 3-4 as a main course, 5-6 as a side dish
Ingredients
5-6 eggs (We are going to boil these so you could use leftover Easter eggs!)
1 1/2 cups or 300g basmati rice
1 large potato

For the tarka:
3 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 green cardamom pods
4 to 5 cloves
1 inch or 2.5cm cinnamon stick
1 strand mace

For the spice paste:
1 large onion
2 medium tomatoes
Generous handful mint and cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish, if desired
1 small knob fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons plain thick (Greek style) yogurt
Salt
2 green chili peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons biryani masala powder (premixed spices for biryani, any one will do)
2 1/2 cups or 590ml cold water

Method
Rinse your rice until the water runs clear and then soak it in cool water for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Drain water and set the rice aside in a colander or strainer.

Put your eggs to cook in a pot of cool water. When the water comes to the boil, cover the pot, turn the fire off and leave for 10 minutes. Drain and fill with more cool water. Peel the eggs when they are cool enough to handle. Prink them all over with a fork. Set aside.

Peel and cut your potato in small cubes. Thinly slice the onions and chop your tomatoes.

Roughly chop your herbs and reserve some for garnish.

Peel the ginger and garlic cloves and mash them into a paste with a mortar and pestle. Split your green chili peppers down the middle, just up to the stem.

In a pot with a tight fitting lid that will be big enough to hold all the biryani, heat your ghee and then fry the dried spices in it briefly, stirring constantly. Watch out for popping cardamom pods.

Add in the sliced onions and fry till golden brown, stirring frequently. Add in the ginger garlic paste and fry for just a few minutes again, stirring well.

Add in the tomatoes, chopped herbs, turmeric, cayenne, salt, split green chili peppers, yogurt and a good sprinkling of salt. Stir well and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and you have a good thick paste.

Add the eggs and cubed potatoes. Stir gently to coat them with the seasonings.

Add in the drained rice and the biryani masala powder and stir again to coat the rice with the wet and dry seasonings, being careful not to break the eggs.

Pour in the cold water and one teaspoon of salt. Stir again. Over a medium heat, bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot with its tight fitting lid.

Simmer for 20 minutes or until the water has been fully absorbed and the rice is cooked. Leave the lid on the pot until you are ready to serve as the rice will continue to steam inside.

To serve, fluff the rice with a fork. Sprinkle on some chopped herbs and make sure that everyone gets at least one egg.

Enjoy!

Looking for eggspirational recipes? We've got 'em for you today!

Appetizers & Sides

• Classic Deviled Eggs from Confessions of a Cooking Diva
• Classic Deviled Eggs(-alad Sandwiches) from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Easter Deviled Egg Chicks from Pine Needles In My Salad
• Guacamole Deviled Eggs from Momma’s Meals
• Ham and Swiss Deviled Eggs from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Hrudka – Ukrainian Egg Cheese for Easter from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Jalapeño Popper Deviled Eggs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Smoky Deviled Bacon And Eggs from Taste And See
• Spicy Sriracha Deviled Eggs from An Appealing Plan

Main Dishes (Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Brinner and Dinner!)

• Achiote Pulled Pork and Black Bean Huevos Rancheros from Cooking on The Ranch
• Asparagus Sausage Skillet with Egg from Wholistic Woman
• Avocado Egg Chilaquiles from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Baked Eggs in Cream from Tramplingrose
• Baked Scotch Eggs from Curious Cuisiniere
• Chorizo, Dubliner, and Vegetable Quiche from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Classic Egg Salad Sandwich from My Imperfect Kitchen
• Classic Shirred Eggs with Gruyere and Ham from The Weekend Gourmet
• Egg Biryani from Food Lust People Love
• Fri-Tot-Ta from Feeding Big
• Hashbrown Egg Nests from The TipToe Fairy
• Italian Style Stuffed Bread from The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine
• Jalapeño Popper Quiche from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Japanese Egg Crepes (Kinshi Tamago) from NinjaBaker.com
• Low Carb Breakfast Pizza from My Life Cookbook
• Make Ahead & Freeze Omelette Cups from Hardly A Goddess
• Mediterranean Frittata from A Mind “Full” Mom
• Mini Frittata with Asparagus and Six Italian Cheeses from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Papas con Huevos (Potato and Egg Tacos) from Kitchen Gidget
• Pasta Carbonara with Shrimp and Leeks from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Poached Eggs over Roasted Asparagus from Monica’s Table
• Potato, Egg and Cheese Scramble from And She Cooks
• Spaghetti with Fried Eggs from The Texan New Yorker
• Steak Benedict from Palatable Pastime
• Steak Omelette from From Gate to Plate
• Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Quiche from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Sunny Side Up Burger from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Tex-Mex Migas from Caroline’s Cooking
• Toad in the Hole Breakfast Sandwiches from Daily Dish Recipes
• Tomato Asiago Frittata from Books n’ Cooks
• Yemeni Shakshouka (Yemeni Spiced Scrambled Eggs) from Tara’s Multicultural Table

Desserts

• Creamy Flan from The Freshman Cook
• Creme Anglaise from The Redhead Baker
• Croquembouche from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Dark Chocolate Mousse from The Chef Next Door
• Orange Coconut Bundt Cake from Desserts Required
• Pavlova with Strawberry Curd from Love and Confections
• Pistachio Chai Baked Alaska from The Crumby Cupcake
• White Chocolate Chip Cookies from Pies and Plots

Jade - our Drascombe Longboat. 

Our salty dog, Beso. He loves sailing! 

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One-Pan Full English Fry-up

Full English Fry-up is a quick, easy and delicious one-pan breakfast that includes all the traditional parts - bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms and eggs.

Years ago, I was watching a Jamie Oliver show – one of his very first ones from the era of his second published cookbook – and he was working all night in a friend’s restaurant, baking the bread for the next day.  After putting in some long, hot hours, he started a one-pan fry-up.  It reminded me of our very late dinners (or very early breakfasts) back in Abu Dhabi.  As I mentioned way back in January, we often cooked a full English breakfast at the end of a night out.  It is indeed a delight after a long night out, but they are equally tasty earlier in the evening as an alternative dinner.

We often have breakfast for dinner and the rest of the family would like pancakes or waffles, and I mostly give in, but this would be my choice every time.

A genuine full English breakfast would also include black pudding, but my local grocery store was out of stock, and baked beans, which are not my favorite.  If my elder daughter and/or husband were in residence, I would have had to add the Heinz baked beans.  They have to be Heinz.  Just so you know.

Also, I’ve made enough for two diners but, in this same pan, I’ve added bacon and sausages enough for four and still have room for four eggs.  Double either the mushrooms or tomatoes (not both) and you’ll be fine.

Ingredients to serve two
2 medium tomatoes
4 medium brown mushrooms
2 rashers or slices back bacon
2 good quality English sausages
Olive oil
2 fresh eggs
Sea salt
Black pepper
Bread for toast, and butter, if desired.

Method
Cut off the stem end of your tomatoes and then cut them in half through the middle, so you see a cross section of the tomato.  Clean your mushrooms and trim the hard stems.

Add your bacon and sausage to a large non-stick skillet.  Cook until the bacon and sausage are both browned.

Drizzle in a little olive oil if the bacon and sausage haven't given off any grease and add in the halved tomatoes, cut side down, and mushrooms and cook until they are also browned and roasty looking. Then turn them over to brown the other side.

Arrange the bacon, sausage, tomato halves and mushrooms evenly around the pan and make spaces for frying your eggs.

Put your bread in the toaster, if serving.

Crack one egg at a time in a small bowl and gently add each to the pan.

Push the button down on the toaster.  Cook your eggs until they are the doneness you desire.  We like runny yellows, so this doesn’t take but a few minutes.  Season the eggs with sea salt and pepper.

Remove the toast from the toaster and butter, if desired.  Serve each person bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, an egg and toast.


Enjoy!

If you love breakfast for dinner like we do, you’ll want to have a look at all the other lovely Sunday Supper dishes this week.  Breakfast for dinner is the best!

• Almond Rice Crepes Stuffed With Sweet Potatoes & Peas from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Apple, Bacon, and Dubliner Cheese Stuffed French Toast from Neighborfood
• Bacon ‘n Eggs Bread Pudding from gotta get baked
• Bacon & Brie Potato Bread Strata with Roasted Pears from Eat, Move, Shine
• Bacon and Egg Waffles from The Urban Mrs
• Bacon Egg and Potato Breakfast Tacos from Cookin’ Mimi
• Bacon, Spinach and Tomato Breakfast Pizza from Runner’s Tales
• Baked Berry French Toast from Table For Seven
• Banana Waffles with Peanut Butter Syrup from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Basic Vegan Waffles from KillerBunnies, Inc
• Breakfast Bowls from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Copycat Japanese McDonald’s from Ninja Baking
• Cream Dried Beef and Waffles from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Crumpets with Whipped Orange Honey from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Crustless Spinach Quiche from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
• Dark Chocolate, Orange & Pistachio Greek Yogurt Cups from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Denver Breakfast Ring from Curious Cuisiniere
• Dulce de Leche Stuffed French Toast from Basic N Delicious
• Elderberry Flower Pancakes from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Florentine Benedict from Supper for a Steal
• Gluten Free Breakfast Pizza from Blueberries And Blessings
• Greek Frittata from Casa de Crews
• Homemade Lox from Growing Up Gabel
• Italian Turkey Meatballs (With a Secret) from What Smells So Good?
• Joe’s Special, the Original San Francisco Treat from  target="_blank"Webicurean
• Kale, Bacon, Brown Rice Crustless Quiche from Shockingly Delicious
• Leek, Mushroom and Gruyère Quiche from H target="_blank"ip Foodie Mom
• Oatmeal Ice Cream from Treats & Trinkets
• One Pan Full English Fry-up from Food Lust People Love
• Open Faced BTC Sandwich from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Rosemary Strata from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Red Pepper and Egg Galette from Healthy. Delicious.
• Saucy Ham and Cheese Breakfast Sliders from Daily Dish Recipes
• Sausage breakfast casserole from My cute bride
• Seattle Sandwiches (Lox, Shmear, & A Fried Egg) from Juanita’s Cocina
• Sour Cherry Crisp from Pies and Plots
• Steak & Egg Bagel Sandwich from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
• Steak and Egg Tostadas from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Tres Leches Pancakes from La Cocina de Leslie
• Waffles – One Plate, Two Ways: Sweet & Savory from Foxes Love Lemons
• Zucchini Pancakes with Sautéed Tomatoes and Feta from  target="_blank"Ruffles & Truffles

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