Scalloped Potatoes

The scalloped potatoes with chipoltle and smoked cheddar are amazing. They are vegetarian, but the smokiness of the cheddar and the chipoltle make them have a bacony flavor. I haven't tried the regular recipe. But I'm sure that's good too. I would imagine it would be good with Swiss cheese too. The recipe originally called for all the cheese on the top. But Kristy (who found the recipe) and I think mixing in some cheese with the potatoes would be better. Be sure to actually wait the ten minutes before serving. When casseroles or meat or scalloped potatoes cook, all the moisture is pushed to the edges of the casserole (or meat). After resting, the moisture is distributed more evenly. In the case of casseroles, that means when you dish it all the sauce won't seep into the whole where you dished from. In the case of meat it means the juice will stay in the meat and not run all over the plate. This reicpe is from America's Test Kitchen.

SCALLOPED POTATOES

Serves 4 to 6

You can substitute Parmesan instead of cheddar.

INGREDIENTS

2 T unsalted butter

1 small onion, minced

2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press ( about 2 tsp)

1 T chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

2 ½ lbs ( about 5 medium) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch -thick slices with the slicing disk of a food processor

1 c canned low-sodium chicken broth

1 c heavy cream

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (1 c)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the foaming subsides. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, broth, and cream and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender ( a paring knife can be slipped into and out of a potato slice with some resistance), about 10 minutes. Mix in half of the cheese.

3. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish ( or other 1 ½ quart gratin dish); sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cream is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH CHIPOLTLE CHILE AND SMOKED CHEDDAR CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

2 T unsalted butter

1 small onion, minced

1 large chipoltle chile in adobo sauce, minced (about 1 ½ T)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press ( about 2 tsp)

1 T chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

2 ½ lbs ( about 5 medium) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch -thick slices with the slicing disk of a food processor

1 c canned low-sodium chicken broth

1 c heavy cream

4 oz smoked cheddar cheese, shredded (1 c)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the foaming subsides. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the chipotle, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, broth, and cream and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender ( a paring knife can be slipped into and out of a potato slice with some resistance), about 10 minutes. Mix in half of the cheese.

3. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish ( or other 1 ½ quart gratin dish); sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese. Bake until the cream is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.