Creamy Havarti Potato & Spinach Bake
🧀 Havarti & Creamy
🍽️ Creamy Potato Bake
🥛 Contains Milk
Creamy Havarti Potato & Spinach Bake
A cosy, oven-baked classic with a gourmet twist — layers of thinly sliced potatoes, baby spinach and silky Havarti, baked in a light, creamy sauce until bubbling and golden on top. Perfect for Sunday lunch, family dinners, or as a star side dish on your table.
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
40 minutes
Total
55 minutes
Difficulty
Medium
Serves:
4
Ingredients
- 800 g floury potatoes, thinly sliced
- 150 g Havarti, grated or thinly sliced
- 80 g baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 small onion, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 250 ml cream (or half cream, half milk)
- 1 tbsp butter (for greasing & sautéing)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.5 tsp sea salt (to taste)
- 0.25 tsp cracked black pepper
- 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
Optional finishing touches
- 20 g grated hard cheese (like aged Gouda or Parmesan) for extra golden top
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives, to serve
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 190°C (or 180°C fan). Lightly grease a medium baking dish with a little butter or olive oil.
- In a small pan, heat the butter and olive oil over low–medium heat. Sauté the sliced onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes until soft and fragrant, but not browned.
- In a jug, whisk together the cream (or cream and milk) with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Layer half of the potato slices in the base of the baking dish. Scatter over half the baby spinach, half the sautéed onion and garlic, and half the Havarti.
- Repeat with the remaining potatoes, spinach, onion and Havarti to create a second layer. Gently pour the cream mixture over the top, letting it settle down between the layers.
- If using, sprinkle grated hard cheese over the top for a deep golden crust. Cover loosely with foil and bake for around 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and the top is bubbling and golden.
- Rest the bake for 5–10 minutes before serving. Finish with fresh herbs and serve as a main with salad, or as a rich side dish alongside roast meats or grilled vegetables.
If you have Havarti & bake left over…
- Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
- Store in the fridge between +2°C and +5°C and enjoy within 2–3 days.
- Reheat portions once, until piping hot throughout (over 75°C); add a splash of milk or cream if needed.
- Use leftover Havarti slices in toasties, wraps, on top of roasted veg, or grated into scrambled eggs the next morning.
- For longer storage, grate any extra Havarti and freeze in small bags for quick use in future bakes or pasta dishes.
Ingredients and allergens
This recipe contains milk. Check the labels of every ingredient for allergens and dietary suitability. Swapping the cream alone does not make a dish containing Havarti dairy-free or lactose-free.
For the cheese ingredients and current pack details, see Danish Havarti 200 g.
Product Snapshot — Havarti
- Cheese type: Semi-soft cow’s milk cheese with a creamy, mild flavour.
- Flavour: buttery, gentle and slightly tangy — perfect for family-friendly dishes.
- Texture: smooth, melt-friendly and ideal for baking or layering.
- Best for: bakes, gratins, toasties, burgers, pasta, and cheesy vegetable dishes.
- Origin: Made in Denmark, imported as whole blocks and cut & packed in NZ (Global Cheese Boutique).