Layered Potatoes

04.18.

Sweet Potato Au Gratin

I have to admit. I have a problem. I happen to be a “gadget girl”. There! I said it. It’s out now and I can’t take it back.

Whenever I’m in a homestore or go to a home party where these things are sold, I have to practice self control.

My palms start to get sweaty (nice, huh?) , my pupils begin to dilate, and I have even been know to twitch a little. I know! I am painting a very pretty picture for you.

One of the little gadgets I have always craved, but have to be honest, have been scared of is the Mandoline. No, not the one you play.

The one you SLICE with!

So, while in the store the other day, a Sweaty Palmed girl broke down and bought one.

BEHOLD!

mandoline

This is the one I got. I paid only $24.99 for it at my local Sam’s Club. These can run pretty high. That is the reason it has taken me so long to purchase one. They can go upwards of $100. I didn’t want to pay a lot, only to find out I wouldn’t use it. This is the only reason I bought this, because I was so excited it wasn’t $100!

Well, let me just tell you………… I LOVE IT! By the way, since purchasing this, I have seen them even cheaper than what I paid for mine. Even as low as $11.99 online!!!

I have always shied away from recipes that call for thinly sliced ingredients. If I couldn’t buy them already that way, I probably wouldn’t fix it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to announce that GONE ARE THE DAYS where I do this anymore!

I had some Sweet Potatoes lying around that I wanted to use up and so I decided to make Sweet Potato Au Gratin for dinner last night. Before you go, “Esther! I don’t like Sweet Potatoes…..” You can definitely do this recipe by substituting them for regular Russett Potatoes. If you do that, you can also either use the Thyme I used in my recipe along with the Gruyere OR you could also substitute those for maybe Chives and White Cheddar Cheese.

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So, without further adieu, this is what I did:

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I peeled and sliced (with the Mandoline) 4 or 5 Sweet Potatoes (it depends on size) and put the setting to “3/16” of an inch.

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I buttered a 13 x 9 in. baking dish.

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Quick Tip from my MOM: Don’t throw away those empty butter wrappers! Save them for something like this where you need to butter a dish. It makes it much easier to do it and your hands get less messy! 🙂

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I made a layer the Sweet Potatoes in a slightly overlapping pattern on the bottom of the baking dish.

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Then I sprinkled with a little Salt, Pepper, and Thyme. Then I sprinkled a thin layer (about 1/2 cup) of Smoked Apple Gruyere Cheese on top. YUM! Is all I can say!

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Next, I repeated the layers 2 more times.

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After that, I put 1 more layer of Sweet Potatoes on top. (By now, I had 4 layers of Sweet Potatoes total)

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Then, I simmered 2 cups of Skim Milk and 2 cloves of Minced Garlic for 2 to 3 minutes.

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Then I poured it over the Sweet Potatoes. I made sure I touched every potatoe on the top layer so that none would be dry during the baking process.

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Em wanted to help me, so I let her sprinkle the last layer of cheese on top. Then, I covered it with foil and baked it for 30 minutes on 400 degrees. Then, I removed the foil and baked it for another 30 minutes. Be careful when you remove the foil because steam will escape and that may cause you to get burned.

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This is what it looks like when you pull it out. Not sure if you can tell, but the milk will still be visible and almost appear like it isn’t finished because of so much being in the pan. NO WORRIES! I let mine cool for 30 minutes, allowing all the potatoes to absorb the milk. BY THE WAY: The brown around the edges is from the milk and steam. I showed this in the picture so you would know to expect it. 😉

After that, right before we were ready to eat, I popped it back in the oven for a few minutes on broil so that the cheese could get a little more browned. Make sure you watch it though! Cheese can burn VERY quickly if you aren’t watching it.

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This is what it looked like when finished. Unfortunately, the picture doesn’t do it justice because it was later and there wasn’t as much light outside. (BUMMER!)

This was AMAZING with the Pork Tenderloin we had with it.

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Lucky for me, I had just enough leftover for lunch today! Burp!

Recipe: Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 cups Skim Milk

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

2 pounds Sweet Potatoes (about 4 or 5) , peeled and sliced about 1/8-inch thick *OR you could use Russet

Kosher Salt

Ground Black Pepper

1½ teaspoons Dried Thyme *OR you could use Chives

2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (I used Apple Smoked) *OR you could use White Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

– Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

– Peel and Slice your Potatoes, if you haven’t already.

– Butter a 13 x 9 in. baking dish.

– Layer Sweet Potatoes in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle with a little Salt, Pepper, and Thyme.

– Sprinkle with about a 1/2 cup of Gruyere cheese.

– Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with the cheese.

– Layer a final layer of Sweet Potatoes, set aside.

– In a small pot bring Skim Milk and Garlic just to a simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour on top of Sweet Potatoes, making sure you touch each potatoe on top layer. Milk will settle to bottom.

– Cover with Aluminum Foil and bake for 30 minutes.

– Remove Foil (BE CAREFUL) and bake an additional 30 minutes.

– Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Potatoes will soak up any milk during this time.

– Stick back in the oven for a few minutes on Broil and allow top to brown a little more.

– Serve immediately.