Lockdown created a great number of social media stars. Among them was Poppy O’Toole, a then unknown chef from the Midlands. After catering college in Birmingham, her first job was with the acclaimed Glynn Purnell, whose titular restaurant held a Michelin star for well over a decade before its closure in 2024.
O’Toole went on to work in numerous high-profile kitchens in London before the pandemic hit. It was then that the young chef started creating cooking tutorials on TikTok, soon amassing millions of followers (she has another million on Instagram) thanks to her comforting, homely classics. It wasn’t long before she went full-time as a content creator and was given her own moniker — she’s been known as the Potato Queen for sometime thanks to her deep adoration for spuds.
Today, O’Toole has TV appearances and multiple cookbooks behind her. Her fifth book, Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious One Pot Cookbook, is out on September 25. It features 90 recipes for dishes with “big, bold flavours”, with curries, stir fries, casseroles and “crowd-pleasing” desserts. And there’s a whole chapter dedicated to potatoes.
Shepherd’s pie with a hasselback potato topping
Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton
Hasselbacks on a shepherd’s pie? I’m in love. I need to think of a name for this. Maybe a hedgehog pie? What about hasselhoff pie? Okay, make this and then tell me what it should be called. “The Absolutely Best Dinner Ever” might be an option too.
As we’re making everything in one pan, this gets two goes in the oven — the hasselbacks in the pan on their own, then again on top of the filling. If you’re feeling naughty, reduce the overall cooking time by roasting the hasselbacks in a rule-breaking (shhh!) pan while you make the filling in the allowed pan on the hob (I won’t tell, if you don’t).
Short rib beef bourguignon
Poppy O’Toole
Oooo! Doesn’t this sound fancy? It’s one for when the neighbours are coming over and you want to show off a bit. “I’ve just thrown together a little bourguignon for tonight,” you casually say, knowing full well they’re going to think you’re well sophisticated.
This dish is a long, slow cook. After it’s been 2½ hours in the oven, you just know it’s going to be worth it.
Salted caramel and chocolate tart
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Haarala Hamilton
This has to be one of the easiest, most decadent desserts you’ll ever make. I picked up the recipe while I was working in a bank (in the kitchens, of course). For big events, this would be our go-to sweet treat as it was so easy and everyone loved it. If you want a plant-based version, that’s easy too — simply use alternatives to dairy products, and vegan versions of the biscuits as the base. It’s a win-win really.
Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious One Pot Cookbook, featuring more than 90 recipes, published by Bloomsbury, out September 25
