Potatoes Au Gratin - Vertical Hasselback Style

These potatoes are just about the very best "Potatoes Au Gratin" ever! This is not my original recipe, but I have modified it a bit, and made it my own. I reduced the amount of cream, and I also use cheeses and herbs that are readily available to us in Costa Rica. Russet potatoes are not an option here, so I use white, yellow, and red potatoes. Every time I wanted to make these I had to search for the original recipe on the internet again, and then try to remember how I modified it. It was time to add my recipe here, where I can find it when I need it, and so can you!

Ingredients

• 3 ounces finely grated Manchego, Sharp White Cheddar, Gruyère or Comté cheese
• 2 ounces finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1 cup, or 250ml, of heavy cream
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon of whatever fresh herbs you have on hand, like thyme, rosemary, parsley, and basil, roughly chopped (You can also use a mix of dried herbs, buy only use 2 teaspoons)
• Coarse ground salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ to 2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8th-inch thick on a mandolin slicer (3 to 4 medium size potatoes, the longer & thinner the better) I use a mix of red and white potatoes. Rinse the potatoes with cold water to release some of the starch and thoroughly drain.
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter (I find a deep dish casserole, oval or rectangular, works best). Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Transfer 1/3 of cheese mixture to a separate bowl and set aside. Add cream, garlic, and herbs to cheese mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add potato slices and toss with hands until every slice is coated with cream mixture. Separate every slice so the cream mixture evenly coats them them.
2. Pick up a handful of potatoes, make a neat stack, and lay them on end in the casserole dish with the edges vertical. Stack the potato slices like this from the outside perimeter, working your way to the center until all potatoes have been added. The potatoes need to be very tightly packed. If necessary, slice an additional potato, coat with cream mixture, and add the slices to the casserole (this is why longer & thinner potatoes work best, because you get more slices). Pour excess cream/cheese mixture evenly over potatoes until the mixture comes half way up the sides of the casserole. You may not need all excess liquid.

3. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake about 30 minutes more, until the top is a light golden brown. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake until they are deep golden brown and crispy on top. This could take another 30 minutes, or so. Let the potatoes rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serves:  4 to 6

Total time: 15 minutes of prep work, plus 1½ hours baking

Side Dish

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Waffle Iron Hashbrowns

We make hashbrown potatoes all the time on an old cast iron griddle. Yesterday I stumbled upon an interesting recipe on Pinterest that is very similar to the one I've created.

Here in Costa Rica, you don't just pop on over to the local grocery store and pick up some frozen shredded potatoes. Here, you shred your own potatoes, or you go without hashbrowns. This is my version of Waffle Iron Hashbrowns.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups freshly shredded potatoes
• 1 tablespoon of butter, melted
• 1 one egg
• 1½ teaspoons flour
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:
Preheat the waffle iron to it's highest setting. Rinse the shredded potatoes thoroughly to remove as much starch as possible (this prevents them from becoming gummy). Blot the potatoes dry on a clean dish towel and set them aside.  In a medium size bowl, mix the egg with all the remaining ingredients. Add the shredded potatoes to the egg mixture and toss until the potatoes are well coated.

Spray the waffle iron with some non-stick spray and layer the potatoes evenly on the waffle iron.  Bake for a minimum of 10 minutes. If your timer on the waffle iron beeps before the baking time is up, ignore it, and pay attention to the steam escaping.  When the steam stops, the hashbrowns are done.


Carefully remove your finished waffle iron hashbrowns and enjoy!

Servings: 2

Side Dish

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Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Here is great way to use up leftover ham and create a wonderful comfort food casserole.

Ingredients:

3 pounds Potatoes, Washed (I like to mix Red and Yellow Potatoes)

4 Tablespoons Butter

1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced

2 cloves of Garlic, Minced

3 cups Diced Ham

1-½ cup Milk

1-½ cup Heavy Cream

¼ cups Flour

Black Pepper to taste

1 cup Cheddar Cheese, Grated

1 cup Monterey Jack, or other mild white Cheese, Grated

Chopped Parsley or Cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large casserole dish.

Slice the unpeeled potatoes with a mandolin, or slicer, into 1/8-inch slices.  If you are using a knife, try to get the slices as thin as you can.  Soak the sliced potatoes in a bowl of water to leach out the starch. 

While the potatoes are soaking, melt the butter in a large skillet.  Sauté the onions for a minute or two, just until they start to turn translucent.  Add the minced garlic and quickly add the diced ham.  Cook another 3 minutes, until the meat is thoroughly heated. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine the milk and cream in a microwave-safe container and heat it just enough to take off the refrigerator chill.   Add the flour and black pepper and whisk it until the pepper and flour is totally combined. Set aside.

Grate and mix the two cheeses. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes and pat out most of the moisture with a clean dish towel or paper towels.

Now you are ready to assemble.  Make a layer of 1/3 of the sliced potatoes in the casserole dish; add a layer of 1/3 of the ham and onion, then 1/3 of the grated cheese, and top with 1/3 of the milk and cream. Repeat these layers 2 more times. 

Note:  Stir the milk and cream mixture between each layer because the flour tends settle on the bottom.

Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until bubbly and hot.  Test to make sure the potatoes are thoroughly cooked

Cut into squares and serve.  Top with chopped parsley or cilantro before serving!

Yield:  8 Servings

(Note: If you want to reduce the baking time, boil sliced potatoes for about 3 to 4 minutes before assembling the casserole.  You will need to drain and cool the potatoes a bit before assembling.)

Potatoes

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Herb-Roasted Potatos & Onions *WP*

All content copyright @ by Patricia Wegner 2013

Ingredients:
1 large red onions
1 large yellow onion
2 medium to large red potatoes
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
½ tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the stem end of each onion and carefully slice off the brown part of the root end, leaving the root intact. Peel the onion. Stand each onion root end up on a cutting board and cut the onion in wedges through the root. Place the wedges in a bowl.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and quarter each half. Place these in the bowl with the onions.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the onions and toss well.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions and potatoes to a sheet pan, reserving the vinaigrette that remains in the bowl. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender and browned. Toss the onions and potatoes once during cooking. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with the reserved dressing. Season to taste and serve warm temperature.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info:
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 151.3
Total Fat: 7.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 329.9 mg
Total Carbs: 19.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.8 g
Protein: 2.4 g

WP

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