Potatoes au Gratin with Goat Gouda and Herbs

Jason and I made a delicious dinner for Christmas, and the one recipe I really wanted to share with you was the awesome au gratin potatoes that we made. The idea for these is born from some other recipes I have tried, my love for anything goat cheese related, and fresh herbs. What came out was a delicious, creamy, and cheesy dish that everyone will love.

What You'll Need :

Mandoline or some awesome slicing abilities

13 x 9 baking dish
3-4 Qt Saucepot
Mesh Sieve
Cheese Shredder
Large Measuring cup or Bowl
Knife & Cutting Board
3 Lbs Potatoes (I think Red are best - we used a mix of red and baby yellow)
1/2 Cup Shallots
3 Cloves Garlic

2 Sprigs Rosemary

2 Sprigs Thyme

4 Tablespoons Butter

2 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

About 8 Ounces of Goat Gouda or similar cheese
Seasoned Salt
White Pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit and butter (or cooking spray or whatever) your 13 x 9 inch baking dish and set it aside.

Wash your potatoes and set them on a paper towel so they can dry a bit while you prepare the cream mixture.

Melt 4 Tablespoons of butter in a 3-4 Qt Saucepan on a low heat - this way be the time you get done chopping the shallot and garlic it will be melted.

  

Chop 3 shallots and 3 cloves of garlic into small pieces like shown. You will end up straining these out in the end as the chunky texture of these makes the smooth awesome texture not as great in my experience.

Pour the shallots and garlic into the melted butter. Stir and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of Seasoned Salt and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Tear the leaves off the rosemary and thyme and sprinkle in, and allow to cook for about 5 more minutes or until the shallot and garlic are translucent and about to caramelize (a bit of brown is okay - but do not burn)

Pour in your 2 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Cook over a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Do not boil.

While your cream mixture is cooking, slice your potatoes! You will layer them to cover the entire pan. You may want to stop when the potatoes reach 1/2 way and then pour 1/2 the cream mixture over.

After your cream mixture has cooked for about 10 minutes, push it through a mesh sieve into a measuring cup or bowl. Then pour back into the saucepan. Add a few small slices of your goat gouda and stir on medium heat to melt it in.

Layer your potatoes and pour the cream mixture evenly over them in the 13 x 9 pan.

Shred your goat gouda with a shredder to sprinkle on top!

Watch for your dogs - they will be super interested as it will smell delicious! See Teemo there in the corner? Sprinkle the cheese evenly, then cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and cook for 20 minutes more or until the cheese on top is browned and bubbly. Serve with dinner, or honestly, just eat them on their own. I would guess this serves about 6 people, though we managed to eat 1/2 the dish! (We didn't eat all day!)