Potatoes Au Gratin - Winter Comfort Food

There's nothing like the delicious smell of cheesy, buttery potatoes baking in a warm oven on a cold winter evening.  Pair this with a pork tenderloin and some Brussel sprouts and you're off to the races with a cozy meal to set down and hibernate to!  Serve with a English Brown Ale or a Burgundy wine if you're so inclined!

Ingredients:

  • 4 Russet potatoes, sliced thin
  • 1 onion sliced into rings
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp salted butter
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (f). Use the butter to grease a 1 quart casserole dish.
  2. Alternate layers of potatoes and onions into the prepared casserole dish. Ending with a final layer of potatoes. Season with some salt and pepper to taste.
  3. In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Slowly stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened.  Stir in that shredded cheese, and stir until melted,  Stir in 1/2 tsp lemon juice to keep the cheese from becoming stringy.  Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil or a pot cover.
  4. Bake for 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, remove the cover for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
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