Food - The good, the bland, and the savory.: Side dish

I'm definitely a meat and potatoes type girl. Or even just potatoes. Or even potatoes with garlic, cheese, and onion.

this post was inspired by a bbq that i had with some co workers a few weeks ago--we had the meat. the pasta salad. the chips. so i thought, why not potatoes?

i prowled around the interwebs for a recipe, as i've never made potatoes au gratin--au gratin just meaning topped with grated cheese or bread crumbs. simple enough.

::gathering my raw materials::

Ingredients:

- 4-6 small red potatoes, thinly cut (i use read, because i hate peeling potatoes, and these have thin skins)
- 1/4 cup chopped onion

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 1 cup grated cheese (the sharper, the better)

- 1 cup heavy cream (or milk, if you want to cut back fat and calories)

- 1 tbsp flour

- 1 tbsp butter

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Very carefully, slice your potatoes as thinly as possible--makes the cook time quicker. Try to get them about 1/4 inch or thinner. Set aside.

Chop your onion and garlic and toss with your potatoes. In a medium skillet, heat about 1 tsbp olive oil and cook your potatoes with the onion and garlic.

Add salt and pepper. Allow the potatoes to brown slightly, but you don't have to worry about cooking them all the way through, since they're going to be baked. Remove from heat.

In a saucepan, melt your butter and flour, making a simple roux. Add your heavy cream and stir. Add salt, pepper, and whatever other seasonings you enjoy. Remove from heat.

In a deep baking pan or casserole dish, arrange a layer of potatoes and then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Repeat this until all your potatoes and cheese have been used.