Dress up most any dinner with a side of cheesy potatoes! Made mostly over the stove top, and then warmed in the oven, this is comfort food at its best!
I admit that I’m not usually a side dish person. As in, I don’t like to prepare them. Of course I like to eat them. 🙂
It’s just that it’s all I can do to think about what’s mainly going to fill our stomachs that evening. So I typically just go with a simple green salad, rice, or some chopped fruit, if we’re lucky, and call it a balanced meal.
My family knows A) It’s a special occasion, B) I’m in a really good mood C) I’m feeling really ambitious, D) I’m testing a new recipe or E) all of the above, if they get a helping of fancy shmancy potatoes or homemade rolls to go with their protein. 🙂 Hey, it doesn’t happen often, but when it does, those “more involved” side dishes are a real treat! And it tends to give my family a renewed sense of appreciation for what I do, so I try not to let it get old. 🙂
As I mentioned in this post, my grandma recently passed away and when I was reminiscing with my mom about her wonderful life after the services, our conversation turned to grandma’s wonderful cooking. I’ve posted many of her best-loved recipes already, such as this phenomenal Oatmeal Cake, this incredible Southern Pound Cake, this best-ever “Famous” Potato Salad, and these fantastic BBQ Baked Beans, just to name a few. We started going through my mom’s hand-written recipes and I copied some that were her mother’s so I could preserve them for posterity and in her memory.
Mom mentioned how grandma made these Potatoes Au Gratin on occasion and how yummy they are. So of course I had to get the recipe, even though it would mean I’d be breaking my streak and putting effort into a side dish. 🙂
Boy was it worth it, though! These are delicious! So cheesy-good! I love that whenever I make grandma’s recipes, it makes me think of her. We used to visit her at least once a month, growing up, and she’d make us the most amazing cookies like these Raisin Buns or maybe some good ‘ol classic Chocolate Chip (she really made the best) and serve them up with a big bowl of ice cream.
{POTATOES AU GRATIN}
8 medium potatoes
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. milk (2%)
1 c. grated cheddar cheese and 8 oz. cheese whiz (or 2 c. grated cheddar cheese if not using cheeze whiz)
dash of celery salt
dash of onion powder
dash of garlic powder
dash of pepper
additional grated cheddar cheese for topping, optional
Diced green onions, optional
Cook potatoes with skin on just until done (can bake or boil them). Remove the skins and slice potatoes thinly. Melt butter with garlic in a large skillet over low heat. Add flour, salt, celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper and whisk until no clumps remain. Add milk and whisk over medium-high heat until mixture bubbles and thickens. Turn off heat and add cheese. Stir until smooth and cheese has melted. Pour sauce over potatoes and lightly toss to coat. Carefully transfer to an oven-safe baking dish and bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 15 minutes, or just until heated through. Top with additional grated cheddar cheese and green onions if desired. Serve immediately.
**Tip: A dash is about the equivalent of 1/8 tsp.
So there you have it…a delightful dish of cheesy scalloped potatoes…in loving memory of my sweet grandma.I got a kick out of the fact that this recipe calls for a “dash” of this and and a “dash” of that. Back in grandma’s day, you didn’t always measure things, so you just added a pinch or a dash. I find myself doing the same when I cook, because my Grandma taught my mom and my mom in turn taught me. Mom always said to just cup my hand and put a little of the seasoning in the palm where it creates an enclosure and then throw it in. That’s how I do it to this day. So I had to Google the terms in order to provide a more definitive, standard measurement. 🙂
I hope you love these as much as my family does!
Chelsea
www.lifewithmylittles.com
juegos friv ol | juegos kizi 20 | friv all games | friv 30 game