Buttermilk blue potatoes au gratin

6 servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
7mediumsMaine russet potatoes; parboiled, peeled, and thinly sliced
tablespoonUnsalted butter
1Garlic clove; crushed
2Shallots or green onions; minced
2tablespoonsUnbleached flour
cupMilk; at room temperature
1cupButtermilk; at room temp
1teaspoonWhite pepper
¼cupMayonnaise
1teaspoonDijon mustard
¼teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
¼cupFresh parsley; chopped
2ouncesBlue cheese; crumbled, divided
3cupsRaw mushrooms; sliced
1cupMonterey jack; grated
cupPotato chips; coarsely crushed
1(10 oz) pkg frozen chopped broccoli; thawed
1tablespoonCanned pimento; diced

Directions

Arrange half of the potatoes in the bottom of a buttered 2½-quart shallow casserole dish. Make the buttermilk-blue cheese sauce as follows: melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add flour, stir, and cook for 3 minutes more. Pour in milk and buttermilk all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in white pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, parsley and half of the blue cheese.

Layer all the mushrooms over the potatoes in the casserole; top with half of the sauce and distribute the grated jack cheese over the sauce. Layer remaining potatoes over cheese and spoon remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining blue cheese. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Sprinkle potato chips over top and bake an additional 10 minutes. Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli. Arrange broccoli around outer edges of casserole and garnish with pimento; bake 5 minutes longer.

This recipe, by Mary Lou Carlson, won first prize for potatoes in the 2nd Annual Great New England Cookoff, sponsored by Yankee Magazine.

Christie Aspegren, September 93 Round Robin.