Post Furlough Food/Food for students: Bubble and Squeak

When I think back to times when income has been virtually non-existent for my husband and I (thankfully few) I think of bubble and squeak.  For those of you who don't know this is an English dish which is made from mashed potatoes and cabbage. which is far tastier that it sounds.  Regional names for the similar thing throughout the UK include colcannon and rumbledethumps.
At it's simplest Bubble and Squeak is mashed potato and chopped cabbage mixed together and fried in a pan. (Probably where the bubble and squeak name comes from) , it is dirt cheap, uses widely available ingredients and it is also possible to jazz it up depending on what you have available.
-Potatoes - these should be floury potatoes that mash well, use the kind often labelled as just plain "white potatoes" in the supermarket do not fall for a particular variety with a pricier tag, in the small print it could say something like "Estima", "King Edward", "Maris Piper" if you are buying from a typical UK supermarket.  The proportion of potatoes to cabbage should be about 2/3 potatoes to 1/3 cabbage but I have been known to up it in desperate times as the carbs in the potatoes is the filling bit.  Tinned potatoes do not (in my experience) work as a substitute because they are a little more waxy - they have chosen a variety that will hold together when pressure cooked in the tin rather than one that falls apart when cooked.  If you can't get fresh spuds (can't think why but the last few months have had runs on odd things in the shops...) then use instant mash - works fine.  Do not be tempted by the ready made mash, it is a rip off.
Cabbage.  Classically this would be chopped and boiled (presumably to death as this is the reputation that British cooks of the past had :)) In our house it is steamed to just tender in a metal colander over a pan of boiling water (no fancy plug in steamer used here); my mum used to cook it in the pressure cooker but again the tendency is to overcook and lose all texture, colour and vitamins.  I have also been known to substitute other brassicas (brussel sprouts/broccoli/cauliflower) instead.  If you are using a fresh cabbage then the core can be grated and used with the chopped leaves in a pinch, the same is true for the outer leaves and stem of broccoli or cauli.
Method
Simple as can be. Take your potato, peel cook and mash(with a splash of milk if you can spare it).  Take your cabbage, chop it or cut into strips. Boil or steam the cabbage until just tender.   Mix everything together. Take a frying pan and press the mixture into a layer like a frittata.  When the underneath is brown (sneak a look and then press the edge which will break apart back together again) either flip using a plate or if you can put the frying pan under a hot grill (mind any plastic handles) brown the top under the grill.   The brown bits are the tastiest bits so don't turn it too soon.  Cut into as many wedges as you need.
Variations
Many and varied depending on what you have knocking about in the fridge and cupboards, exactly why I like this dish.  Add as many or as few as your heart (or budget) will allow.
Onions- fried onion is the best basic thing to add in my opinion.  Fry the onion before adding to the potato and mix through.  You can also use chopped spring onions or chopped leeks in the same way.
Cheese - sprinkle grated hard cheese on the top before going under the grill.
Soft Cheese- Cream cheese (like philadelphia) can be stirred into the mash before frying - the herb or garlic ones are also good.
Garlic - either use fresh chopped garlic that has been softened in the pan before hand or a squeeze of the puree.  Mix into the mash potato before cooking.  If you are adding onions and garlic and frying them before adding to the mash only add the garlic when the onions are already soft.  Garlic burns quicker and burnt garlic tastes bad.
Roasted vegetables - Red pepper that has been softened in the pan can be added the mix straight away but I have been known to chop up peppers/tomatoes/courgette/aubergine/squash/sweet potato/carrots etc and roast them in the oven to fill the space and then freeze them, this is one of the dishes where I will throw in a portion to improve the flavour (they also go great in pasta sauce)
Leftover cooked veggies- the story goes that this would be made on the Monday for the thrifty cook to use the cooked veggies left over from sunday lunch.  Carrots, roasted parsnips, broccoli, green beans, peas - all have made it into my recipe over the years.  If you do not have leftovers of the cooked veggies but want to add some carrots (for example) cook them in the microwave first or in the same pan as the potatoes or cabbage.  Tinned veggies can also be used as is.  If I am doing this variation I leave off the cheese and serve with gravy (either left over or from granules)
Meat - so far so veggie but... leftovers from sunday lunch, chopped fried bacon, chopped ham (even the sandwich kind or tinned), chopped (cooked) sausages, all can be added and mixing them into the mash rather than serving them on the side makes a little go much further.  If you have a little bit of leftovers of the meat kind (not enough to freeze or justify it's space in the fridge) this is the place to use it.  Many a single sausage has been snatched from my husband just in time.  Again goes great with gravy.
Mustard - If you are throwing in sausages then a spoonful of mustard in the mash will add more flavour - personally I hate the stuff but I have known those who do this...
Horseradish - a spoonful of this lovely stuff however is one I like. Goes into the basic version or the one with meat or roasted veggies for me.
Butter - If you want a more luxury mash then add a knob of butter when you mash the potatoes if you have it.
Poached/fried egg - cook separately and serve on the top for a protein hit.
Baked beans - for another protein hit serve a portion of these on the side.