Need a Thanksgiving Potato Idea? Here?s an Awesome Potato Casserole: Potato au Gratin Recipe

As our array of Thanksgiving recipes continues, I thought it was necessary to include a potato recipe.  I have to confess, however, that I am not crazy about mashed potatoes, which I know is almost sacrilegious in this country.  Mashed potatoes are probably the most popular side for all dishes uniquely American, including fried chicken and meat loaf, and, most importantly, roast turkey!  Something about the texture of mashed potatoes doesn’t do it for me.  Make patties out of them and fry them up, and then we have a different story!  To me, potatoes just taste the best when they have been given a chance to caramelize.

For a holiday like Thanksgiving, when calories don’t count and plates are never big enough, potatoes au gratin are the perfect accompaniment.  The thin layers of potatoes and onions turn a wonderful golden color, surrounded with bubbling bechamel and cheese.  In this recipe, the thyme and Gruyere cheese make the dish wonderfully savory and aromatic.  The minute people walk in the door, the smells alone will make them happy to be there.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it is easy enough to make that you don’t have to wait for a holiday.  If you own a mandolin, which is a wonderfully useful kitchen tool, making this dish is probably easier than making mashed potatoes because there is no peeling involved.  The result is also more elegant.  And don’t worry – as far as I am concerned, you can still make a crater in the top for gravy!

The recipe below is to serve six people.  For thanksgiving, it is likely that you will want to double or triple this recipe.  Just allow for one potato per one and a half people, and adjust the rest of the quantities as necessary.

Ingredients:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Using a mandolin, thinly slice the potatoes.  Peel the onions and thinly slice those as well.  If you don’t have a mandolin, use a slicer attachment on your food processor.  You can also just cut the potatoes and onions thinly with a knife, but if you do this, shave one side of the potato off first so that it sits flat on the board while you cut it. Layer a greased baking dish with one layer of potatoes, one layer of onions, another layer of potatoes, another layer of onions, and one final layer of potatoes. Set baking dish aside.

Next, make the bechamel sauce.  In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until it melts.  Add the flour and stir for one minute until a paste forms and the flour becomes a very light golden color.  This will ensure that the raw flour flavor is cooked out.  Add the cream, the leaves from the thyme sprigs, the nutmeg, and salt and pepper.  Stir over medium heat until the cream thickens, about four or five minutes.  The bechamel will continue to thicken as it bakes in the oven.

Pour the bechamel sauce over the layered onions and potatoes.  Top with the grated Gruyere cheese and a few pats of butter.  Bake in the oven for about forty minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when you insert a knife and the bechamel and cheese are bubbly and golden brown.  Cool for about ten minutes before serving.