Potatoes Au Gratin

Today starts a new series of three posts all having to do with a Holiday feast. Christmas Eve, Christmas day or New Years Eve would be perfect; I’ll leave that up to you. First up are potatoes Au gratin then roasted Brussels sprouts, and finally roasted pork tenderloin. You will have all three recipes by Thursday morning, giving you 24-36 hours of time to get everything you need. If you would like any of recipes early just drop me a comment and I will email them to you.

Ingredients

Potatoes- 1 ½ pound (sliced ¼ inch thick)

Gruyere- ¾ cup + 1 cup

Parmesan- ¾ cup + 1 cup

Heavy cream- 1 quart

Salt & white pepper- to taste

Flour- 1 cup

Butter- 1 cup

Milk- 1 pint (whole)

Bacon fat- ¼ cup

Nutmeg- 1 ½ tsp

Chives- ½ cup (chopped)

Method to the Madness

1)      Preheat the oven to 350. In a large sauce pot melt butter over medium high heat. Add the flour making a roux and cook for 2-3 minutes, thoroughly incorporating the butter and flour. Slowly add the Milk in batches. About ¾ cup at a time, do the same for the heavy cream. All the while stirring the entire time, should be smooth and creamy. Add the bacon fat. Bring to a simmer for 5-7 minutes; it will coat the back of a spoon when done, and run off slowly.

2)       Add the nutmeg, ¾ cup of Gruyere and ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese. Mix well and simmer for another 5-7 minutes. Incorporating the cheese until smooth and melted. Season with salt & white pepper.

3)      Spray an 11 by 15 baking dish with cooking spray. Add a layer of the sliced potatoes and cover with the cheese. Continue these processes until potatoes are gone, leaving about 2 inches from the top of the baking dish. Add the cheese sauce. And bake for 1 hour, until the top turns golden brown.

4)      Garnish with the chives and serve hot.

5)      ENJOY!!