Stuffed potato roll with courgettes and ham
A potato dough spread on baking paper and filled with grilled courgettes, cooked ham and melting cheese, then rolled up and baked until golden.
Are you looking for a main that makes an impression but is built from boiled potatoes and not much else?
Then this stuffed potato roll is what you need. I will walk you through spreading the dough on baking paper, filling it with grilled courgettes, cooked ham and cheese, and rolling it up without it cracking.
The trick is entirely in the baking paper. You do not roll with your hands but by lifting the sheet gradually, exactly as for a sponge roll. That way the dough wraps around itself without breaking, even while it is soft.
There are at least three good reasons to make it: cheap ingredients, it can be prepared ahead, and it slices cleanly, which makes it excellent for a buffet or a picnic.
The other key point is moisture, as always when courgettes are involved. They must be griddled and drained, never used raw: inside the roll they would release water and the dough would split in the oven. Twenty minutes in the fridge before baking does the rest.
Serve it warm, after a quarter of an hour of rest, when the slices cut cleanly and the cheese is still soft. The next day it is excellent cold.
Ready? Let’s get started with the stuffed potato roll.
Steps
- Boil the potatoes whole in their skins for 30 minutes, peel them while hot and mash them straight away, then spread them on a wide plate to cool and let the moisture escape.
- Slice the courgettes thinly lengthways and griddle them for 2 minutes per side, then salt them and let them drain on kitchen paper. Raw courgettes would release water inside the roll.
- Add the egg, the parmesan, the breadcrumbs, the nutmeg, salt and pepper to the mashed potato and work it into a firm, workable dough.
- Spread the dough on a sheet of baking paper into a rectangle about one centimetre thick, using lightly oiled hands.
- Cover with the ham, the grilled courgettes and the sliced cheese, leaving two centimetres free along the edge you will close last.
- Roll it up using the baking paper, lifting it progressively, and seal the ends well. Move it to the tray seam side down and chill for 20 minutes: the cold firms it up and stops it splitting in the oven.
- Brush the surface with oil, scatter over breadcrumbs and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 35 minutes, until deep golden. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Helpful tips
Chilling before baking is not optional: it is what holds the roll together.
The courgettes must be grilled and drained, never used raw, or the filling soaks the dough.
If the dough feels sticky, add breadcrumbs one spoonful at a time until it leaves your hands clean.
Excellent cold too, cut into thick slices, so it suits a packed lunch or a buffet.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 32.0 g
- Sugars
- 4.0 g
- Protein
- 17.0 g
- Fat
- 16.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 8.0 g
- Fiber
- 3.0 g
- Sodium
- 620 mg
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