Ingredients
Scale
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 lbs (4- 5 med) red or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled (if desired) and sliced 1/8″ thick
- 1 cup chicken broth*
- 1 cup heavy cream ( half and half or milk will work too)*
- pinch (1/8 tsp) ground nutmeg
- pinch (1/8 tsp) cayenne pepper
- 4 oz cheese, shredded–try Gruyere, cheddar, gouda, parmesan or a combination of cheeses
*You can use 2 cups of half and half or cream instead of one cup of each, broth and cream–both ways work great!!
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Rub the bottom and sides of 1 1/2 quart gratin dish or shallow baking dish with the smashed garlic clove. After rubbing it on the dish, mince the garlic and set aside.
- Wait about 2 minutes for dish to dry and then spread it with about 1/2 Tablespoon of butter.
- Bring potatoes, broth, cream (or half and half) , salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne (if using), and reserved minced garlic, to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium to medium high-heat. Be careful that it is gently simmer so the cream does not break or curdle.
- Stir carefully to keep potatoes from sticking to the bottom, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender (a paring knife can be slipped into and out of a potato slice with some resistance), about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish (or other 1 1/2 quart gratin dish). Sprinkle evenly with the cheese of your choice.You can put the cheese on top only or add a layer in the middle of the dish, if desired.
- Bake until the cream is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.