yummy au gratin and a new tip

The first side dish from our Easter supper was a rich, creamy, cheesy, and garlicky potato au gratin. So Good!

Bonus! A new tip comes along with this recipe. I found the tip on Epicurious.com and thought it was brilliant!

The most time-consuming and frustrating herb to remove the leaves from is thyme. Here is a new way to go about it.

TIP: Use a strainer! Stick the end of a sprig of thyme through one of the little holes and pull through. The leaves stay behind in the strainer. See – Brilliant!

Creamy Gouda & Garlic Potatoes Au Gratin

• 2 pounds peeled and thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the dish
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 ½ cups half & half
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2½ cups grated Gouda cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish with butter.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute until it softens but does not brown.

Add the half & half and salt and gently bring to a slow simmer over medium heat. Add the sliced potatoes and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Place a strainer or colander over a bowl or large glass measuring cup and drain the potatoes, reserving the milk mixture.  Add the mustard to the milk mixture and whisk to combine.

Arrange half of the potatoes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with black pepper, half of the thyme leaves, and half of the Gouda cheese. Pour half of the milk mixture over the potatoes.

Arrange the remaining potatoes on top, followed by the pepper, the rest of the thyme and cheese, and the remaining milk mixture.

Place the baking dish on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake for about 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling and has thickened.

Let the potatoes rest for 10 -15 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 to 8