Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain; set aside.
For sauce, in a saucepan, cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat.
In a greased 2-1/2- to 3-quart au gratin or rectangular baking dish or two 1-1/2-quart au gratin dishes, layer half the potatoes. Pour half the sauce over potatoes. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining potatoes and sauce. Cover and refrigerate remaining cheese.
Bake, covered, for 35 minutes for large dish, and 20 minutes for small dishes. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake 35 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and top is golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 side-dish servings.
Granny Smith and Smoked Cheddar Gratin: Cut 2 large cored Granny Smith apples in thin wedges. Add 2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme to sauce. Place half the apples over each layer of potatoes then pour over sauce. Substitute smoked cheddar or Gouda for Parmesan cheese.Seafood and Goat Cheese Gratin: Add 1 tablespoon snipped fresh tarragon to sauce. Layer 8 ounces smoked salmon or whitefish, skin removed and salmon flaked, on first layer of potatoes before adding sauce. Substitute goat cheese for Parmesan cheese. Served with a green vegetable, this gratin becomes a main dish.Mushroom and Blue Cheese Gratin: Cook 3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms with the onion and garlic. Add 4 teaspoons snipped fresh sage to sauce. Substitute crumbled blue cheese for Parmesan cheese.Test kitchen Tip: Gratins can be assembled and refrigerated, covered, up to 24 hours. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 50 minutes for a large dish or 40 minutes for small dishes. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake 40 to 50 minutes more or until potatoes are tender.
I sprinkle it with parmesan cheese before baking and, as always when baking, I line the dish with Release foil.
GRATIN DAUPHINOISSliced Potatoes in Cream
Butter for baking dish4 lbs. large potatoes (about 8) peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices1 garlic clove, chopped1 teas. salt1/8 teas. freshly ground pepper1 cup milk1 cup heavy cream
1. Preheat oven to 450~. Butter a large 9 x 14 inch baking dish2. Layer the sliced potatoes in the baking dish and sprinkle with garlic and salt3. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the milk and cream and bring to a boil. Pour over the layered potatoes.4. Bake in the middle of the oven until the potatoes are brown and tender and a knife easily penetrates them, 35-40 minutes. The potatoes should simmer or gently boil while in the oven. If they begin to boil rapidly, or brown before they are tender, reduce the heat by 25 -50 degrees.5. Remove the dish from the oven and serve. The potatoes will stay hot for about 30 minutes. (The gratin can be made ahead of time. Let cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate. Reheat by bring back to room temperature and then placing in a 350 degree oven for 15 min.)
VARIATIONS: Sprinkle 2 oz. (about 2/3 cup) grated Swiss-style cheese, such as Gruyere or Emmenthaler, over the gratin in Step 3.
NOTES: Recipes differ in how the potatoes for a gratin are prepared. Some chefs insist on slicing and soaking the potatoes in cold water to rid them of their surface starch before baking. Others, believe the starch is necessary for the creamy consistency of the potatoes. However, if you prepare the potatoes ahead of time, they DO need to be soaked to prevent discoloration. Therefore, if you slice potatoes in advance, soak them in the milk and cream in which they will be cooked so as not to lose the starch.
From: At Home with the French Classics by Richard Grausman
(Mashpota.txt from Files)Mashed Potato Casserole
8 large potatoes, peeled and cooked till tender8 oz package cream cheese1 cup sour cream2 tsp garlic salt1/2 tsp pepper4 T butterpaprika
Mash potatoes. Beat cream cheese and sour cream until fluffy; beat intopotaotes till mixture is smooth. Add garlic salt and pepper; mix well. Turn into a shallow (3-4 qt) buttered casserole dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with paprika. At this point you can cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bringto room temperature before baking. Bake, covered, in 400F oven 50-60 minutes or till heated thru. Makes 12 servings.
Here's a favorite of ours. There are several variations of it floating around, some with cream of chicken soup, but this is the one we like.
POTATO CASSEROLE
1 pint sour cream2 lbs. frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed2 cans cream of potato soup1 medium onion, finely chopped1 cup grated Cheddar cheeseParmesan cheese (optional)
Mix all ingredients together except Parmesan cheese. Pour into greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake, covered, 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Uncover, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.
POTATO KUGEL
2 small onions3 tsp. salt1/8 tsp. pepper4 eggs1/3 cup flour1/4 cup oil1/4 tsp. baking powder8 to 10 large potatoes
Grate onions into a large bowl. Add salt, pepper, eggs, flour, oil and baking powder and mix well. Grate potatoes and add to onion mixture. Turn into a 9x13 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or until golden.
FRESNO POTATO CASSEROLE
2 1/2 to 3 lbs. medium size thin skinned potatoes4 strips bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled4 green onions (including tops), thinly sliced1/2 cup milk1 cup sour cream1 cup shredded Cheddar cheeseSalt and pepper to taste3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed3 T. butter, melted
Pour water into a 3 quart pan to a depth of 1 inch. Add potatoes, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender when pierced (about 25 minutes). Drain well; peel and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Arrange half the slices in a greased shallow 2 quart casserole or baking dish. Top with half the bacon and half the onions. In a small bowl, combine milk and sour cream; spread half the milk mixture over onions, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Repeat layers. Sprinkle croutons on top and drizzle with butter. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Makes 6 servings.
I've made this ahead (except for the baking) and kept it refrigerated. Just allow an extra 10-15 minutes when baking.
A slight variation of Lisa's Mashed Potato Casserole is the recipe posted by Karen Vanderpool. One of the big differences is that it is designed to be finished in a crockpot, so it is ideal for a big holiday dinner where your oven is tied up.
MASHED POTATOES IN A CROCKPOT
5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and quartered6 oz. cream cheese1 cup sour cream2 tsp. onion powder1 tsp. salt (or to taste)1/2 tsp. pepper (or to taste)2 large egg whites1 T. butter
Prepare ahead:Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender. Mash until there are no lumps. Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, pepper and egg whites. Blend well. Cool slightly, place in a covered container and refrigerate. 3 1/2 hours before serving:Take out of the refrigerator and place in a slow cooker. Dot with butter. Cook on low heat for 3 hours, stirring once or twice. They can be held longer if necessary. Recipe from: Karen Vanderpool
>>(Mashpota.txt from Files)>>Mashed Potato Casserole
That's one of my favorite recipes from this forum. It's so great for a big dinner like Thanksgiving or Christmas and in no way is inferior to the potatoes mashed at the last minute. It makes things so much easier.
