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

3 T unsalted butter

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

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ½ T all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

6 medium potatoes, scrubbed clean 

1 ½ t sea salt

½ t finely ground black pepper

¼ t freshly grated nutmeg

Place a box grater in a medium bowl and grate ½ cup of each cheese into the bowl. Mix by hand to combine the cheeses.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. 

Add sliced onion and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook another minute. 

Slowly add the milk, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes until thickened.

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 350 degrees F.

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

Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in a pattern.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle half of the combined cheeses evenly over the potatoes.

Pour in half of the milk and onion mixture.

Sprinkle with a little nutmeg.

Repeat one more time.

Place 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 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

Serves 6