Cheesy Potatoes

My family is huge!  I have 5 sisters and 3 brothers.  My mom is the middle child of 11 and I am close to all my brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, second cousins, grand nephews…You get the idea.  Because there are so many of us, holiday meals are always potluck.  I took this dish to our Easter celebration.  It was a hit.

Servings: 8-10

Time:    Prep: 20 minutes Cook: boil 10 minutes, bake 40
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a peeler, a pot, a sauce pot, a whisk, a food processor or grater, a large mixing bowl, a large wooden spoon, foil, and a 9 x 13’  glass baking dish

Ingredients: 

• 3 pounds of potatoes
• ½ stick butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1-½ cups milk
• 2 cups + ½ + ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• S&P
• Cooking spray

Hard to believe such simple ingredients

become something so good

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Peel the potatoes.  Place them in the pot of salted boiling water.   Only cook them until they are just tender.  You want them to still be firm.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, place the butter in the sauce pan on medium and whisk in the flour.  You are now making a roux.  Continue to whisk until the roux is a golden color.  This should take about 5 minutes.  Slowly stir in the milk.  Allow the milk mixture to reach a simmer, but DO NOT BOIL.
4. Add 2 cups of the grated cheese to the milk mixture and allow the cheese to melt.  Stir often.  This should take about 5 minutes.
5. Put the potatoes into the food processor to grate them (or grate them by hand).
6. Mix the grated potatoes, cheese sauce, sour cream, and ½ cup of the cheese together.  Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Spray the baking dish with cooking spray. Place the potatoes in the dish and cover in foil.  Bake for 35 minutes.
8. Remove the foil and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is bubbling (about 5 more minutes.)
9. Allow the potatoes to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Hint:  Stir in any one of the following before baking:
4 pieces of crisp, crumbled bacon
1 cup of chopped, cooked ham
1 cup steamed, chopped broccoli florets
¼ cup chopped grilled onions

OR stir in ½ cup of a different cheese before baking (step 6): Gorgonzola, pepper jack, Gouda, Gruyère, or Havarti would all be good choices.