Mascarpone and Roasted Garlic Potato Bake

This month, BRIC Arts Media, an independent television station in Brooklyn, happily launched their fifth channel! As they are growing exponentially, I was glad to participate in their cooking segment called "Hot Potato." I was also pleased to work with a talented producer, Abbey Adkinson.

The recipe we filmed was my mascarpone and roasted garlic potato bake. I have been making my potato bake since I was a teenager. My mother described my grandma Carmela’s original potato pie to me, and I took it from there. The garlic is the major key to making this an exciting and flavorful way to serve a potato dish.

15 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized cubes
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup milk
1/2 stick butter, plus more melted butter for topping
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Seasoned bread crumbs

In a small bowl, toss the garlic cloves with the extra virgin olive oil to coat well. Place the garlic in a piece of aluminum foil. Tent the sides of the aluminum foil up into a pouch to close securely. Place the pouch on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for thirty minutes.
Place potatoes in a pot, and add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, and lower to simmer for another ten minutes or until potatoes are tender enough for a fork to pass through. Drain the potatoes well in a colander. Return them to the pot and mash them with a potato masher. Add the baked garlic cloves, Parmigiano-Reggiano, mascarpone, milk, butter and parsley. Mix very well. Butter a baking dish or pan, and sprinkle bread crumbs to coat the inside. Spread half the potato mixture evenly in the baking dish. Add a layer of mozzarella. Spread a second layer of the remaining potato mixture. Top with more mozzarella, bread crumbs, parsley and dots of butter. Bake in preheated oven at 350°F for thirty-five minutes.

Camille’s Tip: Never boil your potatoes and refrigerate them ahead of time. This will create a waxy texture.