~~Potatoes Au Gratin~~

For such a rich and flavor forward dish, making potatoes au gratins is surprisingly easy...

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 large sliced onion
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 3 pounds white potatoes sliced about ⅛" thick
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.
• Melt butter and stir in the onion over medium low heat. Cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes, remove the onions and set them aside.
• Add flour to the melted butter while stirring to make a roux. Stir constantly. The butter and flour will combine to form a liquid slurry. If you don’t keep stirring, the roux will start to burn and you’ll have to start over, so do not stop stirring. Stirring is a must!
• Add 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese to the roux, stirring until melted.
• Reduce heat to low. Combine milk and roux. Add a small amount at a time whisking to thicken. The mixture will become very thick, continue adding a little bit of liquid at a time whisking until smooth.
• Once all of the liquid has been added, bring to a boil over medium heat while continuing to whisk. Stir in salt and pepper and let boil 1 minute.
• assembly
• Grease a 9"x13" baking dish. Place ⅓ of the potatoes in the bottom and season with salt and pepper. Pour ⅓ of the cream sauce sauce over top.
• Add a layer of onions.
• Repeat adding a layer of sliced potatoes and the rest of the cooked onions, cover with the rest of the cream sauce.
• Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
• Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and potatoes are tender.
• Broil for 3-4 minutes to obtain a golden top.
• Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Variations:

• You can add 1 ½ cups cubed fully cooked diced ham. Mix it in with the sliced potatoes.
• You can add a cup of corn and mix it in with the potatoes
• You can add chopped bacon and mix it in with the potatoes.

Nutrition information: Carbohydrates approx. 39g