Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

I'm going over the final touches of the menu for Easter dinner. I ended up not going with leg of lamb because:
a) I'm having 10+ guests
b) I'm having picky eaters over (read: teenagers who may or may not like lamb)
c) at $6 a pound I can't afford it (can't afford the chance to spend over $60 and people not like what I'm serving. I know most people like ham).


So, ham it is...I still think it's weird that as Christians we eat ham at Easter. Then again...$1.77 a pound is easier on the pocket book. I guess that must be why we do it. Anyway, I digress.

I'm making Au Gratin Potatoes as the side dish. My mom never made them when I was growing up or if she did, then it was rare. Counting this year, I've only made them twice. However, I used this recipe last time and now wouldn't consider making anything else with my ham (at least at Easter).

Remember calories don't count when you are eating with friends AND it's a holiday :)

Here's the recipe:

Au Gratin Potatoes

Serves 8

4 russet potatoes & 4 Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/8-1/4 inch slices

1 onion, diced or grated

6 Tbls. butter (NOT margarine)

6 Tbls. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

4 C. milk

3 cup shredded cheese (I'm using 1 1/2 C. Cheddar & 1 1/2 C. Colby)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish and then layer the potatoes in the dish. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper as you layer.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft and transparent. Make a roux by mixing flour, salt, and pepper into the butter and stirring constantly with a whisk for one minute. Next, stir in the milk. Cook until the mixture is thickened. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the cheese and continue to stir until the cheese is melted and thoroughly incorporated into the béchamel. Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours in a preheated oven.

Bon Appétit