Description
French potatoes au gratin bring creamy, cheesy comfort to dinner tables with layers of thinly sliced potatoes melted under golden, crispy cheese. Rich Gruyère and sharp cheddar combine perfectly, promising pure indulgence in each savory, luxurious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms) red potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) cheddar cheese, shredded
- 0.5 cup (120 milliliters) gruyere cheese, shredded
Dairy and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Thickening Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Prepare the oven by heating it to a toasty 400°F, ensuring an ideal environment for creating a golden, bubbling potato masterpiece.
- Transform potatoes into delicate, paper-thin translucent discs, aiming for uniform ⅛-inch thickness. Simultaneously, mandoline the onion into whisper-thin slices that will melt seamlessly into the dish.
- Craft strategic layers by arranging potato and onion slices vertically in a generously greased casserole dish, creating an architectural arrangement that promises visual and gustatory delight.
- Initiate the cheese sauce by melting butter in a saucepan, then introducing flour and allowing the mixture to dance and develop a nutty fragrance for several minutes.
- Enrich the sauce base with mustard powder, then gradually incorporate milk, seasoning with salt and pepper. Whisk continuously until the mixture transforms into a luxurious, thickened elixir.
- Remove sauce from heat and fold in cheddar and gruyere cheeses, stirring until they surrender into a smooth, glossy blanket of dairy decadence.
- Lavishly cascade the molten cheese sauce over the potato architecture, ensuring every crevice receives its creamy coating.
- Shield the dish with cooking spray-treated foil and nestle into the preheated oven, allowing the potatoes to steam and soften for approximately one hour.
- Unveil the foil for the final roasting stage, permitting the surface to caramelize and achieve a tantalizing golden-brown complexion, typically requiring an additional 20-30 minutes.
- After removing from the oven, grant the dish a brief respite of 15 minutes, allowing flavors to harmonize and sauce to slightly set before serving.
Notes
- Precise layering creates stunning visual appeal and ensures even cooking of potatoes.
- Thinly slicing ingredients guarantees uniform texture and consistent flavor throughout the dish.
- Cheese sauce can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for convenient meal planning.
- Covering with foil during initial baking prevents excessive browning and helps potatoes cook evenly.
- Resting period after baking allows sauce to set and makes serving easier without falling apart.
- Gruyere and cheddar combination provides rich, complex cheese flavor with perfect creamy consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 357
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg