Potatoes Dauphinoise

First of all, Happy New Year to our dear readers! We sure love you and appreciate all your sweet comments and emails!

Now for this wonderful dish...

Dauphinoise is the French method of baking potatoes in milk, cream and cheese. I used my new little mandolin type gadget to slice the potatoes nice and thin. It made it go very quickly. I layered them in a Le Crueset tartin pan. I made this dish to accompany a glazed ham for our Christmas dinner. It was AMAZING!! We loved it. Now that I have found this recipe, I think my days of making the classic cheesy "funeral potatoes" with the can of cream of whatever soup are over:) This is a 'special occasion' dish that I will definitely make again. Wow--even the leftovers were incredible served with a green salad and crusty bread. I love that this dish can be made in advance and baked when needed.  Waxy potatoes give the best result, because they hold their shape. This would be a beautiful accompaniment to any meat dish, or even simply served with a salad and vinaigrette. Simple and gourmet!

*My Weekly Menu plan here*

Potatoes Dauphinoise
Submitted by Melanie ~ The Sisters Cafe

3 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled (red or Yukon gold are great)
1 large garlic clove, halved
1 Tb butter, softened
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese (or cheddar works great)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Put them into a large pot and fill with cold water and a little salt. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Do not overcook at this stage or the potatoes will begin to break break up. Drain well.
2. Rub the inside of the baking dish (mine was approx 12 inch circle) with the cut garlic and grease with a little of the butter.
3. Preheat oven to 325. Put half the potatoes into the dish, spreading them evenly. Sprinkle with a little of the nutmeg and some seasoning of salt and pepper. Add half the cheese and then another layer of potatoes, nutmeg and salt and pepper.
4. Beat together the cream and milk and pour evenly over the potatoes. Finish by scattering the remaining cheese on top with a few small pieces of butter dotted over the surface.
5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes until a deep crisp brown crust forms. Serve immediately from the dish.