Simple & Savory

Good evening everyone! While we certainly enjoy the complicated recipes from time to time (myself especially) it's nice to every now and again return to a simple dish. The greatest part of cooking is that whether you attack a complicated dish or a simple recipe - the end result can truly shine. Tonight's dish is a perfect example of this concept. On the surface, their isn't much more of a simple recipe than scalped potatoes - but simple doesn't mean basic in flavor. Let's get cooking!


The Recipe: Mini Scalloped Potatoes
Original Recipe Found In: Food Network Magazine April 2012 Issue

What You'll Need:
(Serves 6)

1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (Metled) For Ramekins
1 1/4 Cup Grated Sharp White Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Freshly Chopped Chives (1 Teaspoon Dried)
1/4 Teaspoon All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Pound Yukon Gold Potatoes (Unpeeled)
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1 Cup Heavy Cream

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Using a basting or pastry brush, rub the insides of each ramekin generously with the melted butter. Set buttered ramekins aside.

In a small bowl, combine the cheddar, parmesan, chives, flour and cayenne. In addition, add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set this mixture aside.

Beging preparing your potatoes with a mandoline. Set the blade to 1/4 inch thickness and slice the potatoes (unpeeled) until all have been chopped. If you don't have a mandoline, you can use a chef's knife, but be careful of the thickness. A thinner slice will allow the potatoes to cook faster.

Add the sliced potatoes into the bowl with the cheese mixture. Toss to coat, making sure that the mixture is evenly distributed across all of the potatoes.

Begin spooning half of the potato cheese mixture evenly amongst the ramekins. Fill each ramekin about halfway and then pour roughly half of the cream over each of the ramekins (dividing 1/2 cup of heavy cream evenly between 6 ramekins). Add the remaining half of the potato cheese mixture to each ramekin and top that with the remainder of the cream.

Transfer the ramekins to a baking sheet and cover each one with aluminum foil. Place the baking sheet in the oven and allow the ramekins to bake for around 40 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and the potatoes have softened significantly. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425. Remove the aluminum foil from the ramekins and return the baking sheet to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the potato mixtures turn a nice golden brown color and the potatoes have cooked through.

Once the potatoes are golden brown, remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the ramekins to cool slightly, around 10 minutes, before serving. Use a paring knife around the edges of the potato mixture to separate the potato and ramekin (in case any of the potato mixture became 'stuck' during cooking). Serve and enjoy!


The Results:

As I alluded to in the opening, this recipe is the perfect example of why cooking is such a satisfying endeavor. This recipe was as simple and straightforward as you could ask for - just a few ingredients, minimal steps and easy to follow - but the end result is an amazing and savory dish. Even if you're a new at home cook, this recipe will be right up your alley and easy to follow. With such a great dish and easy execution, there's no reason not to try this one at home!

That's all we have for you this week. We're back next week with two more brand new recipes. We might have a feature or two pop up along the way as well, so be sure to follow us on Twitter or 'Like' us on Facebook to see any updates as we post them.

Until then,

~Cheers