Potato Gratin/Bake

This is a winter family favourite. Great for larger crowds.

Ingredients

• 8 Large or 12 medium sized potatoes
• 500g cream (if cream is very thick, water it down a little and mix together well)
• 2 cloves garlic
• Grated cheese – cheddar, gruyere or mozzarella.
• Salt & pepper (to taste)
• Ground Nutmeg (optional – to taste)

 Equipment

• Vegetable Peeler (optional)
• Grater
• Large Baking Dish - approximately 20cm x 28cm ( you can pop the potatoes in before cooking to eyeball the amount of potatoes you might need to peel/wash – just rinse the dish after checking if the potatoes are dirty)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C fan forced or 170°C for a regular oven setting. 
2. Scrub or peel potatoes
3. Slice a couple of potatoes thinly – enough to layer flat in an approximately 20cm x 28cm baking dish, with each edge of the potato overlapping a previous potato
4. Season each layer lightly with salt, pepper, nutmeg and a sprinkle of garlic
5. Evenly spread a thin layer of grated cheese and cream on each layer.
6. Alternate a potato layer with the toppings until you fill the baking dish or use all of the potatoes.  You may like to press the potatoes down a bit as you go to reduce air bubbles in the dish – best to press after layering potatoes and before layering other toppings which will get messy on your hands.   
7. Finish with a layer of grated cheese over potatoes. Cook in oven.  Place a baking tray just above the top of the baking dish to protect the cheese from burning/overcooking.  Bake for 1 hour or until the potato is tender when a knife is inserted in the center of the dish.
8. Remove from the oven.  Eat as is, or cool to room temperate and refrigerate for 24 hours minimum (so that it cools all the way through sufficiently before re-serving cool or reheating). Will store for 2-3 in the fridge. Can freeze for 1-3 months.

Enjoy!

Photos of the Process: