Potato Parm

Welcome to Will-It-Parm, Potato Edition! Creamy potato croquettes get crisp-fried, drenched in a quick red sauce, buried in melty cheese, and finished with fried basil for crunch. It’s Italian comfort food, reimagined one crispy bite at a time.

Instructions Make the béchamel. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Gradually whisk in warm milk until smooth. Cook until thickened, 3–4 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Build the patties. In a large bowl, mix mashed potatoes with béchamel and potato starch until smooth and thick. Chill mixture for 30 minutes to firm it up. Shape into 4 patties, then freeze until solid. Make the sauce. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cooking until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in oregano, tomatoes, and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes, then blend with an immersion blender until smooth (don’t over do this – it will whip air into the sauce and make it orange). Continue simmering until slightly reduced. Fry the patties. Set up dredging station: one bowl of beaten eggs, one bowl of breadcrumbs. Season every part of the station with S&P. Dip each frozen patty in the flour, then the egg, then coat in breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry patties until golden brown on both sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Drain on a wire rack. Broil with cheese. Arrange patties on a baking sheet. Spoon tomato sauce over each, top with mozzarella, and broil until cheese is bubbly and browned, 2–3 minutes. Finish and serve. Top with grated Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and fried basil leaves. Serve hot. Pro Tip: Freezing the patties before breading is key—it keeps the inside creamy and prevents them from falling apart when fried.