First Look, Then Cook

Chicken Pot Pies with Root Vegetables and Cheddar Biscuit Crust

Published on November 22, 2009November 24, 2009 by Dawn2 Comments

There is something about eating your dinner out of an individual ramekin that makes me happy. Maybe it’s because I don’t like to share, or because it is perfect portion control, but whatever it is, I love it. Last year I had a chicken pot pie recipe challenge – this is when I decide to try a bunch of different recipes of basically the same thing – and decide which is best to put in my special notebook. Fortunately I have some friends that happen to love chicken pot pies, maybe even more than me. Over the course of a few weeks, I made a handful of recipes – some with a biscuit topping, some with a pie crust on top, and even one with filo dough. All were acceptable, but this one rose to the top. The cheddar biscuit had a perfect amount of flavor and tenderness to soak up the chicken gravy – and the top crusted perfectly to give a little crunch. This time around I had a lot of root vegetables in the refrigerator so I went that route – but really anything would be great. You could also easily substitute turkey to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers (which the original recipe called for).

I found this recipe in Gourmet, and only modified it slightly for the root vegetables and protein. I used 10 10-12 oz. ramekins, but you can easily make this in one dish and just put mounds of biscuits on top of the filling.

Ingredients

For filling:

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup celery root, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large parsnip (peeled), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large fennel bulb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
4 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For biscuit crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk

Preparation

Make filling:
Cook onion, carrots, celery, celery root, parsnip, fennel and thyme in butter with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 12-inch-wide shallow pot (3- to 4-quart), covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, uncovered, stirring, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in stock (3 1/2 cups), scraping up any brown bits, and bring to a boil, stirring, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat over low heat just before topping with biscuit crust.

Make biscuit crust and bake pie:
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl. Add cheeses and toss to coat. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir just until a dough forms.

Spoon filling into 10 10-12 oz ramekins. Drop biscuit dough onto filling.

Bake until biscuits are puffed and golden brown and filling is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

For a printer-friendly recipe, click here: Chicken Pot Pies with Root Vegetable and Cheddar Biscuit Crust

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Streusel Cake

Published on November 20, 2009November 20, 2009 by Dawn4 Comments

A few entries back I promised to post some of my all time favorite recipes from Gourmet Magazine, since November was their last issue. I saw this recipe and I was struck by the person who sent it in – she was living in Paris, and this cake always got rave reviews from the kids and their parents. Now, I studied in France when I was in college – and I know that people in France think that peanut butter is just disgusting. Nutella is their version of peanut butter. So, I knew by reading the recipe that there would not be a lot of peanut butter flavor in this cake – and I was right. Either that or the parents and kids she was talking about were also American. But, this is such a moist and delicious cake, and the chocolate chips really give it a perfect amount of sweetness – that I have made this over and over again. This is so easy to make, I can whip it up in less than 15 minutes – then into the oven it goes. It also stays good for a few days after you make it, as long as it is wrapped well. My husband eats it like a coffee cake in the morning; I like it as an after dinner treat.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat on low speed until streusel is blended and crumbly. Transfer 1 cup lightly packed streusel to small bowl and reserve. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, baking powder, and baking soda to remaining streusel in large bowl. Beat at low speed until evenly moist. Increase speed to medium and beat until well blended, scraping bowl occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle with reserved 1 cup streusel and remaining 1 cup chips.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Chocolate and Peanut Butter Streusel Cake

Fontina-Stuffed Potatoes

Published on November 18, 2009 by Dawn5 Comments

Stuffed potatoes have been a Thanksgiving tradition in my family for as long as I can remember. My mother’s stuffed potatoes are fabulous, but they are as rich as can be – lots of cream cheese, butter, and cheese. Ok, Thanksgiving is definitely the time to splurge – but if you could make some potatoes that taste just as good and leave you with extra room to eat more dessert, what would you choose? Well, I guess you will need to make these in order to decide.

I found this recipe in Cooking Light and decided I needed to give them a try before serving them for Thanksgiving – and I was very pleased with the results. They were creamy, flavorful, and very rich – especially for a light recipe. At 142 calories per half, I thought the recipe (modified only slightly below) was brilliant.

Ingredients

3 1/4 pounds russet potatoes
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°. Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh, leaving about a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Combine flesh, milk, and sour cream; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Stir in fontina and next 4 ingredients (through pepper). Divide mixture evenly among shells. Place potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle potatoes evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until heated.

Preheat broiler. Broil potatoes 2 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Fontina Stuffed Potatoes

Pumpkin Pancakes

Published on November 15, 2009 by Dawn1 Comment

My girls have been really into eating pancakes on the weekends – normally I just whip up some buttermilk pancakes from a mix, but this week I happened to have some leftover pumpkin in the refrigerator that I wanted to use up. I searched my favorite food sites for a good recipe, and I didn’t see one that fit the bill. I either didn’t have all the ingredients, or it was just too complicated (like the one I found that I had to beat the egg whites separately then fold them into the batter). I was looking for something quick and easy, that would taste great. Since I couldn’t find what I was looking for – I decided just to make up my own recipe – and they were so good, I had to post them here. They are light and delicious, with a great fall pumpkin flavor. You can serve them two ways – with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, or with maple syrup. I still can’t decide which I like better…I will just have to eat another one to find out.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
6 T brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
3 large eggs
2 T melted butter (1/4 stick)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

Whisk the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, eggs, melted butter and vanilla in a medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick).

Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Brush with oil if you think your pan needs it (mine did not). Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls into hot skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 minute per side. Flip over and cook for another 30 seconds or until they are cooked and nicely browned. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with cinnamon sugar or syrup on top.

Makes about 14 pancakes.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Pumpkin Pancakes

Yellow Rice

Published on November 13, 2009 by DawnLeave a comment

I am always looking for new ways to cook rice. White rice is great with spicy dishes to offset some of the heat – but my family is constantly asking for rice with dinner – so I look for creative recipes that I can try.

I saw this recipe in Gourmet and decided that – like the Zucchini Rice Casserole – this would be hard to mess up. You can add whatever vegetables you have – leeks, shalots, carrots, celery, or the peppers and onions that the recipe calls for. What makes this rice unique is the annatto seeds. I love the slightly peppery flavor this spice brings to the dish – it is not spicy, just very flavorful. Think of it like saffron, but not as pungent. I have cooked with annatto seeds a few times, and each time I like the flavor more and more. I loved the extra punch that the cilantro gave this dish as well – I didn’t have any fresh cilantro in the house – but I had some frozen capsules that I picked up from Trader Joes that is perfect in a pinch. I’m sure fresh cilantro would be even better.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon annatto seeds (see cooks’ note, below)
1/4 cup mild olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 3/4 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups water

Preparation

Heat annatto seeds and oil in a very small saucepan over low heat, swirling pan frequently, until oil turns bright red-orange and begins to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding seeds.

Cook onion, bell peppers, garlic, and cilantro in 1 1/2 tablespoons annatto oil in a 2-to 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until most of grains are opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Stir rice again, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Fluff rice with a fork before serving.

Cooks’ notes:

You can substitute 1/4 teaspoon saffron for the annatto. Use only 1 1/2 tablespoon oil and crumble saffron into oil just before using it.
Leftover annatto oil keeps, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 1 month.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Yellow Rice

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

Published on November 11, 2009November 17, 2009 by Dawn3 Comments

A few entries back, I promised to post some of my all-time favorite recipes in Gourmet Magazine, since November was their very last issue. This recipe has been a fall favorite of mine for a few years now. Besides this being an easy cake to make – the subtle pumpkin flavor combined with the fall spices makes this a perfect cake that goes well with just about anything you make for dinner. Make sure you add the buttermilk to the icing really slowly – mix well before each tablespoon, and again before each teaspoon – just in case. You don’t want this icing to get too thin. The key to this icing is that it is very thick – if it is too thin, it will just soak right into the cake and become invisible. As soon as the icing hits the warm cake, it starts dripping all over the sides into a perfect topping. Trust me.

I have adapted this recipe only slightly from Gourmet.

Ingredients

For cake

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing bundt pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-ounce can; not pie filling)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs

For icing

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons well-shaken buttermilk
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

Special equipment: a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan (3 quart)

Preparation

Make cake:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bundt pan generously, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour (2 1/4 cups), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.

Beat butter (1 1/2 sticks) and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, then add eggs and beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.

Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, then bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then invert rack over cake and reinvert cake onto rack. Cool 10 minutes more.

Make icing:
While cake is cooling, whisk together buttermilk and confectioners sugar until smooth. Drizzle icing over warm cake, then cool cake completely. Icing will harden slightly.

Cooks’ note: Cake can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

Cinnamon Rolls

Published on November 8, 2009 by Dawn5 Comments

I used to be obsessed with making bread – but this is when I lived in the land of high altitude. I loved that the dough would rise so fast – baking bread was not an all day project. I remember the first time I attempted cinnamon bread without a recipe. I mixed up some cinnamon sugar and sprinkled it on the dough before rolling it up and putting it in the loaf pan. It looked beautiful, but there was hardly any sweetness or cinnamon flavor. I had no idea that I really had to pile it on in order for it to not completely absorb into the dough. I finally got the proportions down, and I was in love. I just couldn’t believe I could bake something so delicious.

When I moved back to sea level, I pretty much gave up baking bread. It was just too time consuming to wait for the rising process. I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I couldn’t resist. It had been way too long since I felt that silky dough in the my hands as I kneaded it until it was perfectly elastic. Also – I just had to try a low-fat version of these decadent treats. The dough definitely did not rise as fast as I remember, but eventually they were done – and they were fantastic. The girls devoured them – they were even good without the icing, right out of the oven.

Ingredients

Rolls:

1 cup warm fat-free milk (100° to 110°)
6 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 package quick-rise yeast
16.88 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 3/4 cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Icing:

3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

To prepare rolls, combine milk, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Add egg and remaining granulated sugar to bowl. Stir in 4.5 ounces (1 cup) flour; let stand 10 minutes.

Add 11.25 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) flour and salt to milk mixture; stir until a soft dough forms (dough will be sticky). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; turn to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 35 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rise 35 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll dough into an 18 x 11–inch rectangle. Brush remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter over dough; sprinkle evenly with brown sugar mixture. Beginning at one long side, roll up dough tightly, jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut dough into 18 (1-inch) slices. Arrange 9 slices, cut sides up, in each of 2 (8-inch) square baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 35 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Uncover rolls. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes in dishes on a wire rack. Turn rolls out onto wire rack; cool 5 minutes. Turn rolls over.

To prepare icing, combine 3 tablespoons softened butter and cream; stir with a whisk. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar; stir until blended. Spread icing over rolls; serve warm.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Cinnamon Rolls

Chicken Curry

Published on November 6, 2009 by Dawn2 Comments

I love curry – I love the way the flavors meld together and create a comforting spicy stew that you eat with rice. I also love how simple it is to make a delicious flavorful dish that is easy enough to make after you have been at work all day. Like many of the dinners I make, you can use what you have in the refrigerator, and it will taste great. I found this recipe in Cooking Light by Danielle Stephenson. Because I didn’t have sweet potatoes in the house, I used russet potatoes instead – it was delicious. If you like a curry with some serious kick, use the Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles from Trader Joes. Using just a can of regular diced tomatoes will give you a milder curry.

Ingredients

2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 vertically sliced onion
1 1/2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 oz) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled potato
3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 T fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Combine curry powder, coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, red-pepper, and bay leaf in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; saute 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high; return chicken to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add curry powder mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Stir in potatoes and chickpeas. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add peas; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Discard bay leaf. Serves 7.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Chicken Curry

Upside-Down Apple Tarts

Published on November 4, 2009November 4, 2009 by DawnLeave a comment

Casual bakers beware… Most of the recipes I cook are pretty simple – I have two kids, a full-time job, I don’t really have the time to spend hours in the kitchen (not that I don’t want to…). Every once in a while I come accross a recipe that looks a little more challenging, and it ends up sitting in my pantry for months until I finally get the time to try it. This recipe from Gourmet has been sitting in my pantry for probably a year – I actually thought it would be somewhat simple given how few ingredients there were, and that you use frozen puffed pastry.

This was not simple. The hard part was putting together the tarts so that the apples were overlapped, but fit around the circle. Then after they cooked for a little while, I had to flip them over. You definitely need a giant sized spatula to make these the way the recipe reads – which fortunately I have. I would suggest making smaller rounds, without punching out the center. Then layer the apples in the center – in a couple of rows so that the pastry is pretty much covered, except for a ring around the exterior. You may need one more apple to make this work – and it would probably make 12 apple tarts instead of 8.

Even though this was a little more time consuming than normal, I gave my girls the extra dough I had – and they made their own creations – cinnamon puffed pastry treats in all shapes and sizes. At least we were all entertained. I must say, even though they were complicated, they were fantastic. When they came out of the oven, the puffed pastry was nicely flaked, the pastry cream was smooth and delicious, and the apples carmelized. It was a party in my mouth. They suggest reheating them in a 350 degree oven for 5-10, which is fine – but nothing compared to eating them freshly baked.

Ingredients

For pastry cream:

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 whole large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into bits

For pastry and topping:

2 pounds Golden Delicious apples (about 4)
1 pound frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons water

Preparation

Make pastry cream:
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of a paring knife into a small heavy saucepan. Add pod, milk, and 3 Tbsp sugar and bring just to a boil, whisking to dissolve sugar.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cornstarch, remaining sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk together whole egg and yolk in another bowl, then whisk in flour mixture until smooth.

Add one third of hot milk mixture to yolk mixture (to temper) in a slow stream, whisking, then add to milk mixture remaining in saucepan, whisking. Bring custard to a boil over medium heat, whisking, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.

Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with wax paper, until no longer hot, at least 30 minutes.

Make tarts:
Preheat oven to 400°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Peel and core apples, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick wedges.

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin 1/8 inch thick and cut out 8 (6-inch) rounds using inverted bowl or plate as a guide. Punch out center of each round with cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheets.

Discard vanilla pod and transfer pastry cream to pastry bag. Snip a 1/3-inch opening and pipe pastry cream onto pastry in a ring around center (there will be some cream left over). Arrange overlapping apple slices on pastry, covering the cream, then brush with melted butter.

Bake tarts, switching position of sheets halfway through, until edges of apples are pale golden, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together corn syrup and water until smooth.

Remove baking sheets from oven and flip each tart over with a large spatula. Generously brush pastry with some of corn syrup mixture.

Continue to bake, switching position of sheets halfway through, until pastry is shiny and golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool 10 minutes.

Serve tarts, pastry side up, warm or at room temperature.

Additional notes:

•Pastry cream can be chilled up to 3 days. Stir before using.
•Pastry can be rolled out and cut 1 week ahead and frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Do not thaw.
•Tarts can be baked 4 hours ahead. Reheat in a 350°F oven 5 to 10 minutes.

For a printer-friendly recipe, click here: Upside-Down Apple Tarts

Potato Gratin

Published on November 2, 2009 by Dawn3 Comments

I am always looking for ways to cook really good healthy food. Don’t get me wrong, I love butter, and I love cooking with it – but if I can make a dish that tastes almost as good as the real thing, but doesn’t clog up your arteries, I am in – at least for a taste. This is one of those dishes that I just love, but with all the cream and butter, I really tend to save it for special occasions. I found this recipe in Cooking Light and decided to try it – very little butter, and milk instead of cream. I was pleasantly surprised – it was very creamy and flavorful – and so simple! I cut the recipe in half (since my kids don’t like potatoes, I know, someday they will come around) and baked it in a small casserole dish (7 1/2″ x 5″). It browned so nicely on top, I skipped the broiler step.

Ingredients

1 garlic clove
1 T unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 T minced shallots
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8″ thick slices
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub a broiler-safe 11″x7″ baking dish with garlic; discard garlic. Coat dish with butter. Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (through potatoes) in a skillet; bring to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Spoon potato mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake for 35 minutes. If it is not brown enough for you, preheat the broiler and broil for 3 minutes or until golden. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serves 8

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Potato Gratin

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