Potato Fennel Gratin

Is it horrible that I am pre-eating for Thanksgiving?

In my recent indoctrination to food blogging culture, it has not escaped my notice that food bloggers have recently been posting Thanksgiving themed recipes all over the internet at an alarming rate.  While still somewhat a newbie, I assume that I must not be wholly unique in this pre-eating behavior.

But I don’t see people talking about it.

The alternative possibility is to assume that everyone just photographed their thanksgiving meal from last year and hoarded photos for months on end with the intention of bombarding the internet with every side dish known to man.  In which case I truly admire your forethought and lack of gluttony.And therefore would be embarrassed about my following confession, if I actually had any shame:

There will be 2 pans of potato fennel gratin consumed at my table this November.

Because, this is a recipe so divine, that it really should be consumed 2 weeks in a row regardless of the occasion.  But, also, you know, blogging + Thanksgiving.Basically little can go wrong with a recipe involving potatoes and a pint of heavy whipping cream.  But! If one wants to make the whole starch and dairy fat thing a little more interesting, throw in a little gruyere, a few caramelized onions, and a little bit of fennel, and I guarantee you many happy dinner guests.

If you follow the instructions below soon you can grace your table with the fanciest of casseroles; creamy yukon gold potatoes (yes use yukons.. they will hold their texture) embedded under a blistered cheese-y crust of gruyere.  The innards made up of the silkiest cheese sauce, with potatoes strung together with ribbons of sweet onion and fennel with a dash of nutmeg to make it all sing.And of course the originator of this recipe is Ina Garten, so we know it is to be trusted.

So ignore your calorie counting and dig your spoon deep into this puddle of gratin-y goodness.

After all, it is that time of year 🙂

Potato Fennel Gratin

Adapted from Ina Garten for Food Network

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes peeled, and sliced thin
• 1 large fennel bulb cored, and sliced thin
• 1 medium yellow onion halved and sliced thin
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 ½ cups ½ lb shredded gruyere cheese
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2.5 quart baking dish and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium heat. Add fennel and onions, season with salt and pepper, and saute for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are softened and reduced.
• In a large bowl combine heavy cream, and 2 cups of the gruyere cheese (reserve ½ cup for topping the gratin). Add nutmeg and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Add potatoes and mix until all potatoes have been coated with cream. Add onions and fennel, and mix until evenly distributed.
• Pour potato mixture into the greased baking dish.
• Sprinkle with remaining gruyere cheese.
• Baked for 1 ½ hours or until gratin is tender and top is browned.