Au Gratin Potatoes

I feel it is my duty to tell you that things are about to get extremely cheesy and creamy and carb-y.

Consider yourself warned.

Nothing feels as endearingly homemade or comfort food-esque to me as a casserole. The thought of living in a home where casseroles abound makes me giddy. For this reason, I am on a mission to add as many to my repertoire as possible. My current all-time favorite casserole is au gratin potatoes: A go-to cold weather meal for me.

I am convinced there is no food pairing as comforting as potatoes and cheese.

These potatoes make for a heavy side dish with all variety of grilled or roasted meats, but we usually like to have them as the main event. Serve with a salad and a chunk of fresh bread and you’re in for a satisfying meal.

The sauce is a very simple butter-flour-milk combination with gruyere and white cheddar thrown in. Add some sliced potatoes and bake until potatoes are cooked and the sauce is bubbly and browned and perfect.

I could take a bath in these.

Servings: 6
Time: 30 minutes active, 1 hour inactive
Difficulty: Easy
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Baked sliced potatoes in a cheesy cream sauce - The perfect winter comfort food!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds redskin potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk, warmed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
5 ounces white cheddar or Emmental, shredded
3 ounces gruyere, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Peel potatoes and slice into 1/4-inch rounds.

In a large pan with high sides, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, add the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly add the heated milk, whisking constantly to combine. Make sure mixture is smooth and no clumps remain before adding additional milk. When all milk has been added, reduce heat to low. Add the salt, pepper, ground mustard, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add shredded cheeses and stir until cheese has melted. Add potato slices and stir to coat in the cheese sauce. Transfer contents of pan to a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, and sauce is bubbly and browned on the top.

Serve immediately.

These reheat really well! If you are planning on making ahead, I recommend following the recipe as written, then reheating, covered, at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until hot, prior to serving.