Cheese and Herb Potato Gratin
I wanted to get one more Thanksgiving recipe up before turkey day tomorrow. And since you probably want something easy, that won’t take too long to make, I’m going with this amazing potato dish from Tara Bench.
I discovered Bench and this dish, thanks to Melissa’s Produce. Melissa’s hosted a virtual event with Bench where she demonstrated two recipes to promote her new cookbook, Live Life Deliciously. A food editor for Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal, Bench loves cooking and creating new recipes that are perfect for those “busy weekdays and leisurely weekends”. She took several of those recipes and put them together into one gorgeous cookbook. The photos are so pretty in fact, I’ve already made a few including a Dill and Feta Orzo Salad, that’s perfect for a summer barbecue or picnic.
Now, I know there will probably be less people around your table this year, but that doesn’t mean you need to skimp on all the food. Just cut the recipes in half. One way to do that is with this dish. I don’t know about you, but normally we have 15 to 20 people at Thanksgiving. That means there are always two potato dishes on the table. Sure, they may be in the form of a casserole or roasted, but we always have both the white and the orange potatoes.
This gratin from Bench makes it so you can still have both just all together in one dish. If you’re worried it has to look pretty for presentation, don’t be. See, everything gets tossed together in a bowl, then the potatoes are stacked on their side in a spiral until the pan is full. By stacking them this way, you save time, and the gratin still looks stunning; which is why it’s one of the easiest gratins I’ve ever made. You don’t even have to use a pretty casserole dish. You could just cook it in a cast iron pan.
But the simplicity of this dish isn’t the only reason why I love it so. All the flavors that come with it are amazing as well. Not only do you get both the orange sweet potatoes and the white potatoes, you get four different types of herbs and cheese! The final result is a side that’s savory with a hint of sweetness, and a dish that will satisfy both the sweet and white potato fans in your family.
Notes
Adapted from Tara Teaspoon's Live Life Deliciously
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
- 6 small yukon potatoes, peeled
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 8 ounces gruyere or white cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Using a mandolin, slice the potatoes thinly. Gently toss them in a bowl with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, cheese and onion, until everything is well mixed.
- Line the potatoes up on their edge, a handful at a time, in a 2-quart baking dish until the dish is full. Pour the milk and broth over the potatoes, cover with tin foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden, about 15 - 20 more minutes. Serve.
