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I'm home alone this weekend and had a craving for potatoes au gratin last night, so I whipped this together for my dinner. Sorry that some of the pictures are dark, it came off the grill right as the sun was almost set.
The first problem I ran into was that I had no milk or cream for the base. But I did have some Mexican crema, so I mixed a cup and a half of that with a half cup of chicken stock and about a tablespoon of my NMT Beef Rub v.2. Basically, I mixed it to taste.
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I brought out the mandoline, aka the "destroyer of fingers." I sliced half of a Vidalia onion at 1/16th inch and Yukon gold potatoes to 1/8th inch. |
This particular mandoline is an
OXO mandoline. We bought it a year or two ago, and I have liked it for its durability, sturdiness, and ease of cleaning. I'd buy it again. We also have the
KitchenAid spiralizer attachment, and it works very well for this process too. I just didn't feel like dragging out the stand mixer this time.
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For the "gratin" part, I used Boar's Head Hickory Smoked Gruyere and Tillamook cheddar in a 1:1 combo. |
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Then it is just layers of potatoes, thin-sliced onions, a few tablespoons of cream sauce, and the shredded cheeses. Don't overdo it with the cream sauce, you aren't covering the potatoes. |
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This glass casserole dish is 9-inches in diameter and about 2-inches deep. I don't know where we got it, but it is perfect for side dishes on the Mini-Max. |
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Notice the gaps in there where there is no cream sauce. Don't worry, it will fill in once the cheese melts and mixes with the sauce. |
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I cooked it for a little over an hour, until it was golden brown on top and bubbly. |
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As soon as it came off, I sprinkled some Olde Virden's Red Hot Sprinkle generously across the top. I let it rest for 10 minutes before diving in. Olde Virden's Red Hot Sprinkle is a local product, but you can order it online. It is a proprietary blend of serrano, jalapeno, habanero, and other chiles. |
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Layers and layers of golden cheesy goodness! |
I feel like a glutton because I ate three-quarters of the casserole by myself. Oof.