Sir Ian McKellen is known for being a serious artist, whether he’s acting onstage or in movies. But the iconic British actor, who turns 86 today, Sunday, May 25 (Gemini baby!), likes to keep things simple (and seriously delicious) when it comes to what lands on his plate.
The Lord of the Rings and X-Men star has repeatedly talked about his favorite comfort food, including during a 2015 Reddit Ask Me Anything session. The dish doesn’t have a special name (that McKellen disclosed, at least) and the origins of the recipe are rather blurry. But the iconic British screen and stage actor seems very confident of its tastiness.
Sir Ian McKellen's home-cooked meal features potatoes, onions, cheddar cheese and tomatoes (aka all the good stuff!), all baked together to create a cheesy potato gratin of sorts. McKellen says the dish is “very comforting, quite nutritious, easy to make,” hilariously adding that it will “astound your friends.” Here’s what to know about Ian McKellen’s favorite comfort food, plus how to make it yourself.
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McKellen’s potato au gratin isn’t expensive to make and uses ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen or can grab in a quick trip to the store. That means you can whip it up on demand, creating a delicious side that’ll be a hit with whoever you're cooking for.
The dish is also super simple to prepare. Just thinly slice a few ingredients, layer them in a dish, toss them in the oven to bake, and move on. You can whip up a protein and other sides while it cooks or read a good book.
The combo of cheesy potatoes with onions and tomatoes is deeply comforting. It's rich but not too rich and, to McKellen's point, does have some nutrition baked in. The potatoes have vitamin C, fiber, and potassium, the cheddar cheese adds some calcium and the tomatoes are rich in antioxidants. It might not be a light side dish, but it's full of real ingredients and is soul-satisfying.
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How to Make Ian McKellen’s Favorite Comfort Food
Sir Ian McKellen's humble potato bake is all about using thinly sliced ingredients to build layers of flavor. It involves a little prep work, but it's worth the time.
Start by thinly slicing potatoes and onions, then set them aside. Grate some cheddar cheese (McKellen recommends that it be “strong," or what Americans know as sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese) and put that in its own pile. Finally, slice up some small tomatoes.
Now it's time to assemble. Start layering the sliced vegetables and cheese in a casserole dish, with potatoes as the base, followed by onions, cheese and then tomatoes. Once assembled, McKellen recommends that you put the casserole dish in a “medium” oven for an hour, so about 350° should do the trick. McKellen adds, “and to make sure it's delicious as it always is, pour a little single cream over the potatoes, which should be the top layer."
Based on McKellen's description of the dish, he's a cook who likes to wing things in the kitchen, so feel free to use the type of potato and onion that you prefer, and switch up the cheese as you'd like. Pretty much any combination of potatoes, onions, tomatoes and cheese is going to be tasty. Serve the dish as a side with chicken, steak, pork chops or lamb or just have it as-is. Either way, it sounds amazing.
Related: This Classic British Food Has Been Patrick Stewart’s Signature Dish Since 1948
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