Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

SUBMITTED BY: CathyM PHOTO BY: Trifiani

"This is my husband's favorite dish, and he considers it a special occasion every time I make it. The creamy cheese sauce and the tender potatoes in this classic French dish combine to make a deliciously addictive experience. It's a great side dish with a roast pork loin or beef tenderloin. Add a green salad and French bread, and you have found the magic path to a man's heart."

PREP TIME	30 Min
COOK TIME	1 Hr 30 Min
READY IN	2 Hrs

SERVINGS & SCALING

Original recipe yield: 4 servings

USMETRIC

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INGREDIENTS

4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

READ REVIEWS (827)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.
Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

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REVIEWS

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Reviewed on Dec. 11, 2006 by Luminous

Made exactly as directed, only change being mincing the onion instead of rings, as I don't like the texture of onions in large chunks. One reason I chose this recipe was because I prefer whole, natural foods (avoiding processed cheese and cans of soup, for example), and it fit the bill for that well enough. Verdict: it's quite possibly the best cheesy-potato side I have ever tasted. Some reviewers have called it bland, but I prefer to term it comfort food. It's a creamy, cheesy, potato side dish. It doesn't have to have a special bite or kick to it, or evoke any particular area of the world. I adore all sorts of cuisines—Thai, Middle Eastern, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, you name it—but once in a while a lightly seasoned dish that lets you taste the potato, the cheese, the simple flour-and-milk sauce...once in a while that simplicity is the pefect complement to your meal.

39 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on Apr. 20, 2003 by chynook73

Can you say.......disappeared faster than a speeding bullet? I just made this as a side dish to my Christmas ham. I doubled the recipe...used a lot more pepper than expected....used Cracker Barrel's Vermont extra sharp white cheddar ..... sauteed the onions with some garlic and butter before adding to layers....and slow cooked in crock pot (oven was full of ham). WOW!!! This recipe rocked. I loved that it was so user friendly and easy to cook in the crock pot. It is a must have to choose side dishes that can cook in a crock at the holidays. Thank you 1,000 times over!!!!!!!

35 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on May 30, 2003 by PMCKAY1717

Good recipe, nice as a side w/baked ham. Modified slightly by sauteeing onions 1st w/a bit of fresh/minced garlic for 4 min to reduce "raw" onion taste B4 adding to layers. Also agree to remove cover 15 min B4 serving to get a little crust or add a little buttered breadcrumbs to get a light topping. Convert this side dish recipe to a "one meal" casserole by adding left over chunks of ham (from a previous meal). This casserole is then yummy as brunch, lunch or supper.

26 users found this review helpful

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