POTATOES AU GRATIN

I think everyone loves potatoes au gratin. I doubled the recipe for twelve people on New Year's Eve and everyone raved about it. I have made this dish with the cheeses that I use in my fondu recipe, but Emmentaler and especially Appenzeller may not be easy to find in your super market. A plain Swiss, Edam, along with Gruyére would be delicious. The total amount of cheese in this recipe is 2 cups. Don't overdo the cheese because you want to see that there are potatoes underneath.

1 cup grated Gruyére cheese 

1 cup grated Swiss Emmentaler or Edam cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 yellow or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed clean and thinly sliced

1 medium yellow or Vidalia onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

2 T unsalted butter

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups half-and-half or whole milk

½ t freeze-dried or fresh thyme

1 t sea salt

½ t finely ground black pepper

¼ t freshly grated nutmeg

Place a box grater in a medium bowl and grate the cheeses into the bowl. 

Mix by hand to combine the cheeses.

Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. 

Add sliced onion and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook another minute. 

Slowly add the half-and-half or milk, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Heat through but do not boil.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray the bottom of a gratin or baking dish with oil, about 9 x 13.

Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in bottom of pan 

Sprinkle half of the combined cheeses evenly over the potatoes.

Pour in half of the cream-milk and onion mixture.

Repeat one more time.

Place baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any drippings.

Loosely cover with aluminum foil sprayed on the inside with oil, and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil and bake another 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

Let set 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6