Cheesy Potatoes

Oh the weather outside if frightful

But the Netflix fire is so delightful

And since I’ve got no place to go

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

And snow it will. I moved to the South to avoid the reality of winter, but recently North Carolina has been looking a lot more like Philadelphia with its week of snow of ice.

Maybe it’s the Irish in me but when the winter weather rears its ugly head, I turn to the warmth of potatoes for comfort. Cheesy potatoes to be specific. My mom still laughs at how long it took me to figure out that Au Gratin meant cheese and I still feel a little bit of despair at how many years I missed out on this amazing combination of potatoes and cheese.

I usually make cheesy potatoes in a crock put using this recipe from the Sunshine Mom, but today I’m craving the crispy, almost burnt, top layer, which can only be achieved in the oven.

Ingredients Needed:

3 large russet potatoes

8oz shredded cheese (I used Monterrey Jack)

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. flour

1-½ cups of milk

1 tsp. salt

Garlic salt to taste

Pepper to taste

The first step is to clean and peel your potatoes. Yes, I clean them even though I'm going to peel the skin off because now I don't have to be particular about getting 100% of the skin off. I used my knife to peel these potatoes, but if you have a potato peeler it will cut down on prep time.

Preheat your oven to 350°

Slice 'em up. If you're using a knife to slice your potatoes, pay close attention to maintaining an even thickness. I prefer my potatoes thin so I try to keep my slice around a 1/4" thick. I keep telling myself that I'm going to get around to replacing my mandolin slicer, but until that day comes a sharp knife will suffice.

The next step is the hardest one in my opinion. It's time to make the ever elusive roux. Place a medium to large sized pot on medium heat and melt the butter until it begins to bubble. When the butter bubbles add in the flour and salt and whisk continuously. Continue whisking the roux until it becomes a dark yellow/light brown color. When your roux begins to brown, add in the milk and cheese and stir. Allow the sauce the cook until the cheese in completely melted and begins to boil. You can move onto the next step, but keep an eye on your sauce and make sure to stir occasionally. 

In a deep casserole dish or baking pan, begin to layer the potatoes. Lay down one layer of potatoes and then add garlic salt and pepper to taste. You can choose to use sea salt in place of the garlic salt. Repeat layers until you've used all of your potatoes.

Now that your cheese sauce is finished and delicious, pour it over the potatoes, making sure to cover the dish evenly.

Place your potatoes in the oven and allow them to cook for 1 hour. As I mentioned, I prefer a nice crispy top to my potatoes, so I switch the oven to the broiler and cook the dish for another 3-5 minutes to get a nice burnt top.

Grab a spoon or a fork and enjoy. If you want to spice up your dish I recommend adding some Andouille Sausage to add a punch and a protein.

-The Garlic Graduate