Potatoes au Gratin

 

Description:

These scrumptious potatoes are cheesy, creamy, classy, and delicious. The gruyere cheese adds a rich depth of flavor and makes them unforgettable, and the hint of bacon compliments the flavor with the satisfaction of a favorite comfort food. Enjoy!

Summary:

• prep time: 45 minutes
• cook time: 1 hr 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs waxy potatoes (red or golden work well; starchy potatoes, e.g. Russet, are delicious, but lose the classy appearance because they mush together when cooked)
• 1 onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups cream
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 1/2 cups shredded gruyere cheese (gruyere is expensive; apparently mozzarella and Swiss also work well)
• 2-3 tsp thyme
• 1 pack of bacon

Instructions

1. wash and thinly slice the potatoes (roughly 1/8" slices)
2. slice the onion
3. (optional) microwave the potatoes and the onion slices for 10-15 minutes to save yourself 30-45 minutes of cooking time in the Dutch oven
4. chop the bacon into 1" slices and cook in the lid of the Dutch oven
5. mix cream, salt and pepper, garlic, thyme, and 2/3 of the cheese in the Dutch oven
6. neatly arrange onions and potato slices in the Dutch oven
7. cook for 1 hr, or until the potatoes reach the desired softness (cook uncovered for the first 30 minutes, and cover for the remainder of the time)
8. add the rest of the cheese on top with another sprinkling of thyme and cook for another 30 minutes covered
9. take it off the coals and let it rest for 10-20 minutes if possible
10. Enjoy!

Acknowledgements

This recipe was inspired by one at https://www.recipetineats.com/potatoes-au-gratin/ with some modifications.

*NOTE: at the cookoff, I cooked them with the Dutch oven covered for 1 hr 15 minutes, and left it uncovered for another 15 minutes. The result was certainly delicious, but soupier than I would have liked. If I were to do it again, I would leave the Dutch oven uncovered for much longer to let the cream reduce.