Potato Gratin is one of the best things… EVER. Creamy, Carby, Cheesy and delicious, and usually accompanying a great steak or piece of roasted meat – in my book it is in the upper echelon of potato dishes. When I am in need of a potato dish that speaks to my soul potato gratin is what I reach for. It is not however, in my line up of weeknight meals because it requires a decent amount of work and a long bake to get those potato slices all tender and toothsome. Or at least that is what I thought until I came across an amazing little dish by Julia Child that inspired this weeknight potato gratin.
Easy Weeknight Potato Gratin Inspired by Julia Child’s Rapee Morvandelle
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Potato
Cuisine
French/American
Servings
8
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol 1 Julia makes a dish called Rapee Morvandelle, which is basically a potato gratin using shredded potatoes instead of sliced (keep that angry mandolin in its drawer!), with chunks of ham in it bound by eggs, cheese and a smidge of cream. This makes an AMAZING breakfast hashbrown casserole and is a delicious addition to any brunch table. It also tastes suuuuuuuuper close to a traditional Potato Gratin and with a few tweaks and additions and a little hand from the grocery store this makes potato gratin a weeknight whizz. To go from the brunch table to the dinner table I pulled out the ham and 1 egg and instead I double down on extra flavor and cheesy goodness by increasing the garlic, adding some thyme and throwing in some grated parmesan cheese and crumbled goat cheese. To make life a little easier I also buy the pre-shredded Simply Potatoes that are hanging out in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. In Julia’s version she grates potatoes by hand and then must squeeze all the excess water out of them. Simply potatoes come shredded squeezed and ready to go; exactly what we need to get this gratin in the oven and on the table in 40 minutes. Enjoy, or as Julia would say, “Bon Appetit!”
Ingredients
- 1 Lg Yellow Onion, small dice
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 eggs
- 4 oz Heavy Cream
- 1 tbsp Thyme, freshly chopped
- 1 bu chives, sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 2/3 cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese (You can use absolutely any cheese you like. For the $$ cheddar brings the flavor, but you can go classic and use gruyere or whatever you have hanging around)
- Pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 – 20 oz bag Simply Potatoes
- 1 – 4 oz container Crumbled Goat Cheese
- 2 tbsp butter (for your 11-12 inch baking dish) + 2 Tbsp diced “dots” to place on top
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees while you get everything else prepped up.
Sauté the onion in 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter, over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until tender but not browned. Remove from heat and add the grated garlic. Stir it and allow it to sit in the warm pan with the onion and set aside.
Place your baking dish in the oven with 2 Tbsp of butter and let the butter melt and the pan get hot while you combine everything.
Whisk together the egg, cream, salt, and pepper.
In a large bowl add the potato shreds, parmesan, and cheddar and toss. Add the onion and garlic mixture tossing again. Pour over the cream and egg mixture and toss well to coat every potato shred.
Fold in the goat cheese crumbles and mix until just combined.
Place the potato mixture into your hot baking dish and top with the dots of butter.
Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until browned.
If after 40 minutes you would like the gratin to have a little but more color throw on your broiler and watch it close for desired browning. Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
