Easter & Thanksgiving have a lot in common. Both are a time for families to gather. Both are a celebration of the blessings in our lives, on the physical and spiritual levels. There are also traditional foods that are eaten on both, turkey on Thanksgiving and ham or lamb on Easter. But it is the other food items associated with these holidays that appeal to me the most. I love side dishes! All those calorie laden, carb-rich menu items call to me. (My go-to pick at Boston Market Restaurants used to be the Side Item Sampler meal whenever I went there with the kids. The perfect 3-sides meal was stuffing, mashed potatoes & green beans!) At these holiday gatherings with a wonderful assortment of delicious foods, I have a small bit of the protein, just to be polite, then I dig into the side dishes, savoring every bite! To be fair, I do load up on the veggie side dishes as well as the starchy ones.

Today, I’m focusing on my favorite Easter side: scalloped potatoes. This recipe isn’t just a bunch of sliced potatoes with a heavy, cheesy sauce on them. This recipe has sweet & savory elements to it and lots of cheese taste without the heavy sauce. This particular potato dish was enticing enough to have Eric taking a second helping (which he rarely does) and then nibbling on additional bites all through dinner the night we tested them. That’s saying something! In our 30 years together, I don’t remember another time when he went back for more of a potato dish. That’s what I do. And did with these!

Scalloped Potatoes with Gruyere & Caramelized Onions

Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Gruyere (adapted from simplyrecipes.com)  Prep time: 20 minutes  Cook time: 1 hour  Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)
• 1 teaspoon butter or cooking spray
• 1/2 teaspoon dried, ground rosemary
• fresh minced parsley for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Heat the olive oil on medium high heat in a thick-bottomed sauté pan. Add the sliced onions, stirring to coat them with the olive oil. Cook them until they are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Slowly caramelize the onions.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl and gently toss them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the salt, white pepper, and rosemary.

Mix the sliced potatoes with the cheeses & seasonings.

Butter or coat a large gratin dish or 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Place the caramelized onions in an even layer at the bottom of the dish. Arrange the sliced potatoes & cheese mixture in a pattern over the onions.

Layer the potatoes over the onions in the dish.

Pour the stock over the potatoes and sprinkle it all with the remaining Gruyere cheese.

Add the broth to the dish.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake it for 50 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.

Baked . . .

Remove the aluminum foil and broil the potatoes for 3 minutes on high, uncovered, until lightly browned. Add additional time if necessary to obtain a nice brown color, watching them closely.

. . . then browned under the broiler.

A close-up of some perfect scalloped potatoes!

Sprinkle the dish with the minced fresh parsley and serve.

Sooo good!

Good enough for 2nd & 3rd helpings!

These will not be just for Easter at our house!  ~Linda

Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Gruyere (adapted from simplyrecipes.com)  Prep time: 20 minutes  Cook time: 1 hour  Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)
• 1 teaspoon of butter or cooking spray
• 1/2 teaspoon dried, ground rosemary
• fresh minced parsley for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Heat the olive oil on medium high heat in a thick-bottomed sauté pan. Add the sliced onions, stirring to coat them with the olive oil. Cook them until they are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl and gently toss them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the salt, white pepper, and rosemary. Butter or coat a large gratin dish or 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Place the caramelized onions in an even layer at the bottom of the dish. Arrange the sliced potatoes & cheese mixture in a pattern over the onions. Pour the stock over the potatoes and sprinkle it all with the remaining Gruyere cheese.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake it for 50 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove the aluminum foil and broil the potatoes for 3 minutes on high, uncovered, until lightly browned. Add additional time if necessary to obtain a nice brown color, watching them closely. Sprinkle the dish with the minced fresh parsley and serve.