I have a “Recipes I Want To Try” Pinterest board.  There are a ton of recipes saved there and I hope one day to get to them all.  But this one, this one was calling to me.

I love potatoes.  I love potatoes in every form (mashed are my personal favorite).  My husband loves potatoes too but he especially loves au gratin potatoes. So, when I saw this recipe for Skillet Scalloped Potatoes with Chive Butter by Judy Kim I knew I had to give them a try.  Did you click on the link? The picture alone is so beautiful and tempting.  I knew mine wouldn’t look exactly like that but if I could get them to taste as good as that picture looked all would be right with the world.  So, I got started.

This recipe calls for Fontina cheese.  If you have never had it before, Fontina is a delicious mild cheese that melts beautifully.  It is also a bit of a softer cheese.  So, the first thing I did was stick my cheese in the freezer for about 10 minutes.  That makes it much easier to grate.  After 10 minutes, I grated my cheese using the large holes on the box grater.  I put the cheese in a bag and stuck it back in the fridge until I was ready for it.

Next, I started on the potatoes.  It is recommended you use a mandolin to slice the potatoes.  I have one now, but I haven’t always.  Since most people have a box grater I used the large slicer hole of the box grater to slice my potatoes.  I did purposefully buy potatoes that were narrow so they wouldn’t be wider than the grater.  You really only need about 3-4 smallish potatoes (see picture below).

Then, I moved on to the “skillet” portion of the dish.  I melted my butter and sautéed my onions with herbs, salt and pepper.  I added the garlic at the end.

I poured the cream and chicken stock into the skillet and brought it to a boil.

Off the heat, I stirred in almost all of the chives and half of the cheese.  I mixed until well combined.  Then, I started arranging the potato slices.  They are supposed to be standing up more (vertical) so the potatoes can cook through evenly.  I did my best.  Mine looks more like a flower.

I kind of pressed or jostled the potatoes a bit so I knew the cream mixture was on every potato.  Then, I baked them in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.  I took them out of the oven, sprinkled on the remaining cheese and baked for 10 more minutes.  I took them out, garnished with chives and dished up some comfort food heaven!

This is a rich dish but it is truly outstanding!  I would eat them every day if I could.  I can’t wait to serve them for a dinner party or holiday.  I know my guests will be so impressed.  And, I love the fontina but I can’t help thinking about what a little blue cheese added to the mix would taste like… hmmm….

I halved the original recipe and I think it could easily serve 4-6 people as a side dish.  I made mine in a smaller oven-safe skillet because I was just making them for a weeknight dinner.  If you are doubling the recipe or making for a larger crowd, you could use a cast iron skillet.  This is not a dish to transfer, serve it directly from whatever skillet you used to bake it.  Enjoy!

Au Gratin Potatoes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
4 oz Fontina Cheese
3-4 Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 T Unsalted Butter
1/2 Onion, diced
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence
1/8 tsp dried Thyme
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 c Heavy Cream
1/4 c Chicken Stock
2 T chopped Chives

Preheat the oven to 400

Put the cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes, then grate on the large holes of a box grater; set aside.
Use the slicer on you box grater to thinly slice the potatoes (or you can use a mandoline).
In an oven-proof skillet, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat.
Add the onions; sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs de provence, thyme salt and pepper.
Stir often and sauté until onions are soft; about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
Add cream and chicken stock; bring to a boil.
Turn off the heat and mix in most of the chives and half of the grated cheese.

Arrange the potato slices in the pan keeping them as vertical as possible.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the potatoes and bake for 10 more minutes until the cheese is melted and there is a golden brown crust.
Garnish with remaining chives and serve immediately.

Mangia! Mangia!

Print Recipe

Au Gratin Potatoes

The best side dish!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: Cheese, Comfort Food, Holiday, Potatoes

Servings: 6 People

Author: Emily ~ Garlic & Olive Oil

Ingredients

• 4 oz Fontina Cheese
• 3-4 Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 2 T Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 Onion diced
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence
• 1/8 tsp dried Thyme
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 1/2 c Heavy Cream
• 1/4 c Chicken Stock
• 2 T chopped Chives

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400
• Put the cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes, then grate on the large holes of a box grater; set aside.
• Use the slicer on you box grater to thinly slice the potatoes (or you can use a mandoline).
• In an oven-proof skillet, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat.  Add the onions; sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs de provence, thyme salt and pepper.  Stir often and sauté until onions are soft; about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
• Add cream and chicken stock; bring to a boil. 
•  Turn off the heat and mix in most of the chives and half of the grated cheese.
• Arrange the potato slices in the pan keeping them as vertical as possible.
• Bake for 40 minutes.
• Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the potatoes and bake for 10 more minutes until the cheese is melted and there is a golden brown crust.
• Garnish with remaining chives and serve immediately.

Notes

Mangia! Mangia!

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