058 / 75 · Pasta, Rice and Grain Meals
Salmon Broccoli Potato Bake
2 generous portions, each with half the salmon, broccoli, potatoes and sauce · Active 45 min · Total 1 hr 30 min
Print recipe · PDFA salmon bake works more reliably when potato slices are already nearly tender before they enter the dish. Canned pink salmon supplies the fish without an extra raw-fish preparation stage, and broccoli keeps a clear shape under a modest cheese finish. The beginner technique is making a simple flour-thickened milk sauce, then layering components that are ready to finish together rather than hoping a browned top means the potato centers are cooked.
Make the slices a consistent thickness
Cut potatoes about six millimeters thick, keeping small and large pieces reasonably even. Boil them until just tender enough for a knife to enter, then add the broccoli for its shorter final stage. Drain gently so the potato slices do not break into mash. This first cooking means the oven stage can heat the whole assembled dish through without turning the canned fish dry while waiting for hard potatoes to soften.
Build the sauce gradually
Melt the measured butter over medium-low heat and stir in flour before adding milk. Cook the flour briefly without browning, then add a little milk and stir smooth before continuing in stages. A small whisk helps reach the pan corners. Bring the finished sauce to a gentle bubble until it coats the spoon; it need not become a thick paste. Milk is measured, so a spontaneous extra splash changes the sauce and estimate. Take off the heat before folding in drained salmon flakes.
Use the fish described in the recipe
Choose canned pink salmon that is skinless and boneless, and check the drained fish even when the label says so. This base estimate is not for raw Atlantic salmon or a tin weighed together with all its liquid. Divide the fish evenly as you layer the dish, rather than leaving one serving mostly potatoes. The center needs a casserole temperature check even if the cheese is already golden. Cool leftover portions shallowly and keep the fish dish’s shorter storage limit.
Ingredients
- Canned pink salmon, skinless and boneless, drained and checked (240 g edible)
- 14 oz potatoes with skin, scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch/6 mm thick (400 g)
- About 3 cups broccoli in small florets with peeled stalk thinly sliced (250 g prepared)
- About 6 cups water for vegetables (1.5 liters)
- 1 cup reduced-fat 2% milk (240 ml/about 247 g)
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter (10 g)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (10 g)
- Scant 1/2 cup loosely grated cheddar (40 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (0.3 g)
Set out
2-liter/about 2-quart baking dish, about 8-inch/20 cm square and 2-inch/5 cm deep, Large saucepan for potatoes/broccoli, Small saucepan for sauce, Colander, Whisk, Knife and board, Kitchen scale, Measuring jug, Grater, Food thermometer, Oven mitts
Allergens
Fish (salmon), Milk, Wheat. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Bring the vegetable water to a boil. Add potato slices and simmer for 7–9 minutes until nearly tender. Add broccoli and cook for 3–4 minutes more, until broccoli is tender and potatoes can be pierced without a hard center. Drain gently.
- Meanwhile melt butter in the small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour for 1 minute without browning. Add milk in several small additions, whisking smooth each time. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes until lightly thickened and coating the spoon. Stir in salt and pepper, then remove from heat.
- Drain and check canned salmon, removing any remaining skin or bone. Flake into the sauce in chunky pieces. Put half the drained potatoes and broccoli in the baking dish, add half the salmon sauce and repeat. Sprinkle all measured cheddar over the top.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until bubbling and the center reaches 165°F/74°C. Rest for 5 minutes, then divide all contents into 2 generous portions.
A useful kitchen skill
Part-cook a dense vegetable before layering and build a flour-thickened sauce with small milk additions rather than chasing lumps later.
A useful detail
The estimate uses canned pink salmon drained without skin and bones, not an entire can’s net weight. The potato and broccoli stages are deliberately completed before baking. The 90-minute total includes beginner slicing and sauce work.
Another way
- Use 240 g canned light tuna in water, drained, instead of salmon, checking its different composition and keeping the same casserole endpoint.
- Use 40 g whole-milk mozzarella instead of cheddar for a milder top and a revised estimate.
Keep it well
Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Use within 2 days. Reheat the needed portion to 165°F/74°C throughout. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator; the milk sauce can separate slightly. Do not leave the deep whole baking dish on the counter to cool completely.