Scalloped potatoes

I made these the first time for Easter dinner that I hosted back in the Spring and they were a hit. I would only consider making these for a holiday, because they're sooo good but so high in calories. Even on Christmas I only ate a little bit, which was what I made them for this time around - Christmas dinner!

Ingredients

2	tablespoons unsalted butter
1	medium onion , minced (about 1 cup)
2	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1	tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 1/4	teaspoons table salt
1/4	teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2	pounds russet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1	cup low-sodium chicken broth
1	cup heavy cream
2	bay leaves
4	ounces grated cheddar cheese , shredded (1 cup)

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees.
   

2. Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add onion and cook for around 4 minutes (soft and a little brown). Add garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for another 30 seconds. Add potatoes, chicken broth, cream, and bay leaves and bring to simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until potatoes are almost tender (paring knife can be slipped into and out of potato slice with some resistance), about 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
   

3. Transfer mixture to 8-inch-square baking dish and press to an even layer. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cream is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
   

Here is a picture - see how nice and cheesy and creamy they are?

Roasted Potatoes

I made roasted potatoes to accompany the filet mignon that Doug and I made for our romantic Christmas time date. Woohoo! They were delicious, but we couldn't help busting out the ketchup. These were not too elegant, so I am not sure I would pair with filet mignon again but they were so good!

Ingredients

2 1/2	pounds Yukon Gold potatoes , rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
	Table salt
5	tablespoons olive oil
	Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees.
   

2. Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in Dutch oven or large saucepan with tightly fitting lid. Add cold water to cover potatoes completely. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer for around 5-10 minutes. This will depend on how thickly you cut the spuds. The potatoes should be just undercooked when you remove them from heat for this step. Drain potatoes well and transfer to large bowl. Toss with 4 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven and transfer potatoes to baking sheet and spread into even layer (skin-side up if end piece).
   

3. Bake until bottoms of potatoes are golden brown and crisp, 15 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheet after 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and, using metal spatula and tongs, loosen potatoes from pan, carefully flipping each slice. Continue to roast until second side is golden and crisp, 10 to 20 minutes longer, rotating pan as needed to ensure potatoes brown evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

This is a pretty bad picture, but you get the idea: