In England, when you come in out of a cold winter night, there’s always the warmth of the local pup to welcome you. And one of the best parts about that welcome can be “pub grub” like this.
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 – 5 ounces bacon, cut into 1″- 2″ pieces
½ stick butter, divided
2 white onions, finely sliced
1 cup chopped spinach
¼ teaspoon sugar
5 ounces English or other cheddar cheese, grated
1 medium, red-ripe tomato, thinly sliced
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Make your mashed potatoes, or warm them through. Heat and cook the bacon in half the butter and all the oil in a medium-to-large frying pan until just beginning to brown and crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Add the onions and spinach to the grease in the pan. Add seasoning to taste, and the sugar. Fry gently over medium heat until the onions are soft and caramelized. Take care not to burn them! Return the bacon to the pan and stir evenly. Pour the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan.
Add the remaining butter and 4 oz. of the cheese to the potatoes. Season with salt & pepper to taste and mix well. Preheat the oven broiler to the highest setting. Spoon the potato-cheese mixture evenly over the onions and bacon, sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese, top decoratively with the slices of tomato and season the tomatoes with just a touch more salt. Place pie under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the top is nicely browned in spots. Serves 4.
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