Monday, March 21, 2005
Serve creamy potatoes at your holiday dinner
Potatoes are a great staple in any home. They are available all year, and they’re inexpensive and versatile. But while baked and mashed potatoes will always have a place at the dinner table, adding a few ingredients to the potatoes for a holiday meal helps elevate the tubers from everyday to great.
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The best potatoes for au gratin dishes are red-skinned, new or white potatoes.
Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
4 potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 1-quart casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices and then add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake until browned, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Makes 4 servings.
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The best potatoes for mashing are russet or Yukon gold potatoes.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup evaporated milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste
Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 10 to 20 minutes; drain. Return potatoes to saucepan; add evaporated milk and butter. Mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
Although it is tempting to save time by mashing potatoes with a mixer, be careful not to overbeat them. Overbeating can cause the mashed potatoes to be starchy and sticky.
Always store potatoes in a cool, dark place as exposure to light can cause a green skin to develop. If your potatoes have just a small area of green skin, be sure to peel it off because it will taste bitter. And since this green skin can be mildly toxic, discard any potatoes that have a large area covered by green skin.
If you store potatoes in the refrigerator, allow them to come to room temperature for a few hours before using.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com