INGREDIENTS
- 5-6 good-sized russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3½ tbsp butter, divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- ½ head cabbage, shredded
- 7 oz shredded ham, preferably smoked ham hock
- 2 generous handfuls grated mature cheddar cheese, about 1½–2 cups
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
TIP: For reference this is like making a hash into a casserole. Often times people use leftovers from a holiday dinner and fry it up into a hash. In this case you go one step further and throw that hash into a casserole dish, top with cheese and bake it.
DIRECTIONS
- Cook the potatoes. Place the peeled and chopped potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15–20 minutes, or until completely tender. Drain well.
- Cook the vegetables. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil and about 1½ tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the shredded cabbage and cook for another 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage has softened. Stir in the sliced spring onions during the final minute or two.
- Mash the potatoes. Return the drained potatoes to the pot and mash with the remaining 2 tbsp butter. Season with salt and black pepper. They don't necessarily need to be perfectly smooth—a slightly rustic texture works beautifully for rumbledethumps.
- Combine everything. Fold the cooked cabbage and onion mixture into the mashed potatoes. Add the shredded ham and about half of the grated cheddar, mixing until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Go easy on the salt at first, since both the ham and mature cheddar can be fairly salty.
- Assemble. Lightly butter or grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spoon the potato mixture into the dish and spread it evenly. Rough up the surface slightly with a fork or spoon—those little peaks will brown nicely.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar generously over the top.
- Bake at 400°F for 25–30 minutes, until piping hot throughout and the cheese is melted, bubbling, and golden brown.
- Let it stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
A Little Rumbledethumps Trick
For an especially browned, slightly crispy top, put it under the broiler for 1–2 minutes after baking. Keep an eye on it because cheddar can go from beautifully bronzed Scottish masterpiece to call the fire brigade remarkably quickly. 😂
And I think the smoked ham hock is a terrific addition. It turns what was traditionally a thrifty Scottish way of combining leftover potatoes and cabbage (like a pan fried hash) into something substantial enough to be the main course rather than simply a side dish.
