Mashed Potato Gratin

by R.B. Quinn and Min Merrell
mashed potato gratin

 Beautiful Mashed Potato Gratin is the easiest bake-ahead potato dish to go with all kinds of meats and stews that you might be making for dinner guests.

 I’m far too anxious for last minute cooking for company so that means no mashed potatoes.  You can’t really make mashed potatoes too far in advance because when they sit in the pot while everyone enjoys a second cocktail, those fluffy potatoes turn gummy and slick.  Not good when you’ve worked so hard on that beef bourguignon.  This is a real bummer because creamy mashed potatoes are a wonderfully easy side for winter stews and braises.

The good news is that you can easily bake ahead a mashed potato gratin that contains the usual mashed potato ingredients plus a few egg yolks and some cheese.  Plopped into a baking dish, the eggs puff up the potatoes and the cheese adds depth of flavor.   You’ll also love how dressed-up and good enough for company it looks with the crispy browned tips and edges.  You can’t get that right out of a saucepan.  

 And let’s face it.  Just calling it a gratin and not a casserole boosts its status tremendously.

 Variations?  Why, yes.  Swap the cheese for yellow cheddar and stir in bacon crumbles and chives or sliced green onions for a mean Mashed Baked Potato Gratin.  Other variations include adding a big spoonful of horseradish or other herbs, swapping the milk for buttermilk or yogurt for extra tang or swirling in some pesto.  

 

 

 

 

 

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