3 CHEESE 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 gruyere would be delicious. The total amount of cheese in this recipe is one cup. Don't overdo the cheese because you want to see that there are potatoes underneath.

Gruyere cheese

Swiss Emmentaler cheese or any good Swiss

Edam Cheese

1 T unsalted butter

1 T avocado oil

1 large yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

6 medium potatoes, scrubbed clean 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chicken stock

¼ t freshly grated nutmeg

Place a box grater in a medium bowl and grate ¼ cup of each cheese into the bowl. Mix by hand to combine the cheeses.

Save the rest of the cheese for another recipe.

Melt butter with oil in a skillet over medium heat. 

Add sliced onion and sauté until translucent and caramelized, about 15 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook another minute. Turn off heat and set aside.

Thinly slice the potatoes and place into another bowl.

Alternatively, you can also use a mandoline to thinly slice the potatoes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray the bottom of a gratin or baking dish with oil.

Spoon half of the caramelized onions evenly into the bottom the dish.

Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in a pattern over the onions.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle half of the combined cheeses evenly over the potatoes.

Spoon the rest of the caramelized onions over the cheeses and arrange the rest of the sliced potatoes in a pattern over the onions.

Pour chicken stock over potatoes and add the grated nutmeg.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with the remainder of the combined cheeses evenly over the potatoes.

Place dish on a baking sheet to catch any drippings.

Loosely cover with aluminum foil sprayed on the inside with oil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

Serves 6