My favorite part of Easter dinner has long been the scalloped potatoes my mom prepared to go along with the pineapple & maraschino cherry studded ham. With Easter this year being radically different from Easters past due to the corona virus and our country (and world!) in isolation and quarantined at home, I am more than a bit nostalgic for the past. A twist on our former Easter classic will help us get through this year with our family on a screen instead of in our home.

As a naturally curious person (and former scientist), I wondered why this dish was classified as a gratin when it seemed identical to what we referred to as scalloped in my youth. Fortunately, doing research on anything is very easy in today’s environment. Scalloped potatoes consist of thinly sliced potatoes layered in a casserole dish and baked with heavy cream and/or milk that has been infused with garlic or fresh herbs. Both casseroles use rounds slices of potatoes, but the slices used in scalloped potatoes are often cut a bit thicker than those in a gratin. But the major difference between the two dishes is that a gratin has cheese between the layers.

Alas, these classical definitions are often ignored and the two terms are used interchangeably. My mother’s version used a milk and cheese sauce that the potatoes were added into before the dish was baked, classifying it as a potato gratin, not the scalloped potatoes we referred to it as. But what is in a name?! Either way, potato casseroles are comforting and homey. Here, a mild blue cheese is used in place of the cheddar cheese from my youth. Delicious!

(This recipe can easily be cut in half and prepared in an 8 x 8 casserole dish with Shelter-at-Home directives in place.)

Potato & Gorgonzola Gratin (adapted from cookinglight.com) Makes: 8 1-cup servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• extra blue cheese for serving, if desired

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in the thyme.

Gradually add the milk, and continue to whisk and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the blue cheese and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Stir in the salt and pepper then remove the pot from the heat.

Arrange one-fourth of potatoes in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon about 3/4 cup sauce over the potatoes. Repeat the layers twice.

The final layer will be potatoes over the sauce. Sprinkle the top layer of potatoes with the Parmesan cheese.

Cover the dish and bake at 375° F for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Remove the casserole from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional blue cheese, if desired.

The perfect Easter side dish! ~Linda

Potato & Gorgonzola Gratin (adapted from cookinglight.com) Makes: 8 1-cup servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• extra blue cheese for serving, if desired

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in the thyme. Gradually add the milk, and continue to whisk and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the blue cheese and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Stir in the salt and pepper then remove the pot from the heat.

Arrange one-fourth of potatoes in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon about 3/4 cup sauce over the potatoes. Repeat the layers twice. The final layer will be potatoes over the sauce. Sprinkle the top layer of potatoes with the Parmesan cheese. Cover the dish and bake at 375° F for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional blue cheese, if desired.