Lately, you might be buying in bulk to cut down on trips to the market, so it’s possible you now have double the amount of ingredients as you usually do laying around. While that’s fine with shelf-stable items, we need to be mindful of perishables going bad—and essentially negating all that bulk buying. So if you happen to have a big bag of potatoes in the pantry and you just can’t stomach another night of mashed potatoes, I’m here to help.

Potatoes are one of those wonderfully versatile vegetables. A potato can be transformed into almost anything—fried, sautéed, mashed, baked, you name it. So when it’s time to make a dent in my potato reserves, I look for a few alternatives.

One of my favorite ways to repurpose potatoes is in potato gratin. It’s rich, gooey and creamy; everything I want in a side dish. However, I have always found it a bit labor intensive, as it traditionally takes over an hour to cook. Recently though, with a bit of ingenuity, I was able to cut the time down and ease up on those perfectly sliced taters without giving up taste or presentation.

In order to cut down on oven time, a quick parboil of some small Yukon golds does the trick. To maximize flavor, a quick cheese sauce poured on top takes it to the next level. And a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese really brings the ooey gooey factor to the max. This dish is great with pretty much any roasted protein you are serving. I often serve it with baked ham, but it’s also perfect accompaniment to a juicy steak or a roast chicken.

All you need is a few ingredients and 30 minutes to be in comfort food heaven. Oh, and even better: It heats up like a dream.

Ingredients (8)

  • 1 lb small Yukon Gold potatoes, red bliss can also be used
  • ½ cup chicken broth or stock
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup grated parmigiano cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar, mozzarella or blend
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • Chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Place potatoes in a saucepan and fill with cold water, just to cover.
  2. Bring to a boil and allow to cook for 7 minutes, just enough to make them soft but not fully cooked through.
  3. Drain and allow to cool enough to handle. Slice them up, about ¼ inch thick.
  4. Place them in a small baking pan, evenly covering the bottom.
  5. While the potatoes are cooking, bring broth and cream to a boil in a small saucepan and add parmigiano.
  6. Reduce cream mixture to a simmer for three minutes, just long enough to combine the ingredients and melt the cheese.
  7. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
  8. Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for 20 minutes until cheese begins to brown.
  9. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.