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ALDI KICKS OFF IRISH RUGBY’S CAMPAIGN WITH MATCH DAY FOOD CHALLENGES FOR ALL THE FAMILY #BringitHome

• Aldi is challenging shoppers to create a meal or match day snack that represents colour or symbol of a 6 nation’s country, rugby icon or Aviva Stadium!
• Aldi is the Official Fresh Food Partner of the Irish Rugby Team

This week’s Wales v Ireland inspired recipes from Aldi include rival Irish Potatoes and Welsh Leeks:

Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

Celery and Leek Soup

Bacon, Potato & Leek Bake

Aldi, as the Official Fresh Food Partner of the Irish Rugby Team, is kicking off this year’s Guinness Six Nations Campaign with a range of challenges to encourage Irish families to enhance the at home match day experience as they gather to support Ireland for these much anticipated fixtures played in front of empty stadium. #BringitHome

As fans can’t attend the matches in Aviva Stadium this season, Aldi has created a replica Snack Stadium made from fresh food to inspire Irish families to up their Match Day Snacks – Take on the #BringitHome food art challenge by creating a dish or snack that’s inspired by Irish Rugby or one of the countries participating in the tournament! This could be using food to make up the colours of one of the teams’ flags, cooking a traditional dish (recipes below) or replicating a rugby ball from pasta, the Aviva Stadium from vegetables or another creation inspired by Irish Rugby – the opportunities are endless!

If you feel that taking on the traditional dish is the route you’re going to go down, we have three recipes below inspired by Wales v Ireland, which kicks off at 15:00 this Sunday, 7^th February, live from the Principality Stadium in Cardiff!

Don’t forget to share your creations on Twitter and Instagram by using the hashtag #BRINGITHOME to be in with a chance to win some super prizes! Come on Ireland!

Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

Serves: 4 people

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 800g Potatoes
• 120ml Specially Selected Olive Oil
• 1 heaped tsp The Deli Green Pesto
• 1 tsp Stonemill Garlic Granules
• 40g Specially Selected Parmigiano Reggiano
• Stonemill Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

1. Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water, season with some salt and then bring to the boil.
2. Drain and allow to cool a little.
3. Using 2 wooden kebab sticks, put each potato on a chopping board, put a stick on either side, then slice the potato.
4. The sticks will stop you cutting straight through, so you will have mini Hassel back potatoes.
5. Put the potatoes into a roasting dish.
6. Mix the pesto, olive oil and garlic granules together, season with salt and pepper.
7. Drizzle this over the potatoes and roast for about 45 minutes, basting as you cook.
8. Finely grate the cheese.
9. Once the potatoes are cooked, sprinkle over the cheese and put back in the oven for 3 minutes to melt, then serve.

Celery and Leek Soup

Serves: 4 people

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 Pack Celery Approx. 450g
• 1 Large Leek
• 1 Large Mild Onion
• 400g White Potatoes
• 2 Quixo Vegetable Stock Cubes
• 1200ml Boiling Water
• 100ml Clonbawn Half Fat Crème Fraîche
• Stonemill Sea Salt and Black Pepper
• 20ml Specially Selected Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

1. Wash and chop the celery.
2. Wash and chop the leek.
3. Peel the potato and cut into small chunks.
4. Peel, half and finely chop the onion.
5. In a large saucepan sauté the onion in the oil for a few minutes over a low heat.
6. Add the leeks, celery and potato to the pan and cook, stirring for a few minutes.
7. Pour over the boiling water then crumble in the stock cubes.
8. Bring back to the boil, season with a little salt and plenty of black pepper.
9. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
10. Liquidise the soup and return to the pan.
11. Add the crème fraîche, reheat gently and serve. 

Bacon, Potato & Leek Bake

Serves: 4 people

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 400g Specially Selected Dry Cured Hickory Smoked Streaky Rashers
• 1kg White Potatoes
• 300g Leeks
• 300g Carrots
• 150g pack Mangetout
• 400g tin Bramwells Chicken Soup
• 75g Specially Selected Irish Vintage White Cheddar (grated)
• Stonemill Sea Salt and Black Pepper
• 15ml Solesta Sunflower Oil
• 1 x 22cm square deep ovenproof dish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Chop the bacon into chunks and sauté in a frying pan with the oil for 5/6 minutes until just coloured.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut into slices.
4. Chop the leeks into slices, wash well and drain.
5. Put the potato and leek slices into a pan of cold slightly salted water, bring to the boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes then drain well.
6. Put the potato, leek slices and the bacon into the baking dish, pour over the soup and gently mix, season with some black pepper.
7. Sprinkle over the grated cheese and bake in the oven for 20/25 minutes until golden.
8. Meanwhile peel the carrots and cut into thick matchsticks.
9. Cook in some boiling salted water for 3 minutes.
10. Cut the mangetout in half lengthways, add to the carrots and cook for a further 3 minutes.
11. Drain and serve alongside the bake.

The above ingredients are all available in 145 Aldi stores nationwide now.