Potatoes, apples and a creamy cheese sauce combine to make a decadent side dish for any special autumn supper or holiday meal.
Creamy Potato and Apple Gratin
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
My recipe of the day is for a potato and apple gratin for #HolidaySideDishes week. We’ve posted several times already as a group and today is the final day. You can see today’s recipe selection below and also additional recipes earlier in the week for Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese as well as Creamed Spinach. Each day will also include a different roundup so check them both for the full selection.
What are Gratins?
Gratins as a rule are very popular at the holidays. These are French casseroles which layer vegetables and or fruits and cover them with something that will brown nicely, such as cheese or crumbs. Most people are family with Potatoes au gratin.
Cuisine of the French Alps
This version adds in apples for a very harvest feel. Apples pair gorgeously with potatoes, especially when the right kinds of cheeses are used. For this type of dish, I like using something Alpine- and have used a blend here of Gruyere, which is a type of Swiss, Butterkase and Raclette.
Pairings
I have added a little bit of caramelized onion as well, for that extra bit of flavor. I cook with this combination often, especially if I am serving pork. This gratin is amazing with a pork loin roast, a baked ham, or even something as pedestrian as pan fried pork chops.
A Place at the Holiday Table
As part of a Thanksgiving spread, it extends the meal outwards from the usual turkey and stuffing, to provide options for those families who also bake a ham, or wish to provide something that can be a side dish yet double as a vegetarian entree.
#HolidaySideDishes
We’re sharing our favorite turkey trimmings recipes this week! Make sure to check out all the awesome Holiday Side Dishes:
- 5 Ingredient Corn Casserole from Cheese Curd in Paradise
- Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad from Blogghetti
- Bacon Wrapped String Beans from Family Around the Table
- Cranberry, Apple, & Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf from Sweet Beginnings
- Creamy Potato and Apple Gratin from Palatable Pastime (You are Here!)
- Disney’s Pumpkin Soup from Simply Inspired Meals
- Dudhi Kofta (Bottle Gourd Fritters) from Cook with Renu
- Orange Cranberry Sauce from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Pancetta Brussels Sprouts from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Porcini Pancetta Dressing from The Complete Savorist
- Pumpkin Rolls with Herbs and Sea Salt from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Apples, and Onions from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Roasted Carrots with Fresh Herbs from Our Good Life
- Skillet Sausage Stuffing from Dutch Oven Daddy
Creamy Potato and Apple Gratin
You Might Also Like:
Funeral Potatoes
Broccoli Casserole
Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apple and Pecan
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
Creamy Potato and Apple Gratin
Creamy Potato and Apple Gratin
Ingredients
- 1 pound russet potatoes peeled and very thinly sliced
- 2 medium baking apples peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces Murrays Mac & Cheese blend (may sub 2 ounces Gruyere, 2 ounces Butterkase and 2 ounces Raclette cheeses or a combination thereof)
- pinch nutmeg
Cream sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Thinly slice potatoes and keep submerged under cold water while you prep to keep them from darkening.
- Also the apples.
- Saute the onions in the butter until softened and set aside.
- Prepare the cream sauce: heat the butter and whisk in the flour until smooth; let cook about half a minute.
- Stir in the seasonings and milk, whisking over low heat until mixture comes to a boil.
- Let cook one minute to thicken.
- Remove from heat and stir in cubes of softened cream cheese.
- Butter a large casserole or gratin dish.
- Alternate layers of potato, apple and onion with the sauce.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for one hour and fifteen minutes.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle with the cheese blend and a little bit of nutmeg.
- Return to the oven and bake about 30 minutes more, or until the top is golden and the potatoes are tender.
- The gratin should be done, but test with a fork and if it is not, recover the pan with the foil so the cheese doesn't get too dark and bake at ten minute intervals until it is done. You definitely do not want underdone potatoes- and the thickness of those determines the time more than anything else.
Notes
Creamy Potato and Apple Gratin
Well prepared holiday meal.
This dish has me drooling. What a perfect side for a Ham dinner