Community Corner

Recipes: Bring Out the Irish Butter and Cheese for These Pre-Parade Brunch Dishes

Westhampton Beach Cookbook author Margaret Johnson shares her recipe for potatoe, apple, butter bake and bacon, onion, cheese frittata.

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner and a or to celebrate the occasion, why not dispense with the expected meal of corned beef (or bacon) and cabbage, Irish stew, or beef and Guinness and host a pre-parade brunch or breakfast. These two easy dishes — a buttery potato-apple casserole and an easy-to-assemble bacon-onion frittata — are sure to please. Find them and more delicious brunch dishes in my new cookbook, Flavors of Ireland.

Peter Foynes’s Potato-Apple-Butter Bake

Serves 8

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No Irish meal would be complete without a healthy dose of potatoes, and this casserole, by way of Peter Foynes, director of the Cork Butter Museum in Cork City, is perfect for a morning or midday gathering. The secret is to toss the potatoes with butter just before baking.

4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

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4 large cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

6 slices Irish breakfast bacon, chopped

6 tbsp. salted Kerrygold Irish butter

Chopped fresh chives for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter an 11- x 7-inch ovenproof baking dish.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes for about 8 minutes or until slightly tender. Add the apples and cook for 5 minutes longer or until the potatoes and apples are tender. Remove from the heat and drain.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for 7–9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

4. Melt the butter in the same skillet, add the potatoes and apples, and toss well to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to the prepared dish and top with the bacon. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is browned.

5. To serve, divide the mixture onto plates and sprinkle with chives.

Bacon-Onion-Cheese Frittata

Serves 4

This recipe comes by way of Neven Maguire, award-winning chef-proprietor of MacNean Bistro in Blacklion, Co. Cavan.

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter

3 medium onions, thinly sliced

6 slices Irish breakfast bacon, chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

3 garlic cloves, crushed

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Kerrygold Dubliner cheese

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp. of the oil and the butter. Add the onions and cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes or until soft but not browned. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 20–25 minutes or until the onions caramelize.

2. Stir the bacon, thyme, and garlic into the onions and cook for 5–8 minutes or until the bacon is lightly browned. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl, stir in the bacon, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the eggs, cheese, and sage to the onion mixture.

4. In a deep 9-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-low heat. Swirl to coat the sides of the pan. Pour in the egg mixture and cook for 6–8 minutes or until the bottom is set. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until the frittata is puffed up and golden.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, loosen the sides with a spatula, and cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For more of Johnson's recipies, click here.

Editor's Note: Margaret M. Johnson, of Westhampton Beach, is the author of six cookbooks and her latest cookbook called, Flavors of Ireland was released on Amazon on Feb. 23.


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