Rustic (Easy!) Potato Gratin

Need an easy and DELICIOUS side dish for the holidays? I've got one for you. This is one of the dishes that I'm taking to Christmas dinner that I first learned about from the Rachael Ray cooking show several years ago. I tweaked it by lowering the fat, using my Italian Garlic Seasoning in place of salt, and simplifying some steps. You don't need to slice the potatoes into thin slices, you just halve small potatoes until their roughly the same size and you'll see what else. It's very easy to make and it's sooooooooo yummy!


RUSTIC POTATO GRATIN

a couple Tbsp olive oil
3-4 pounds mixed baby potatoes, such as baby red, purples, and fingerlings
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half & half (plus some to cover)
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
2 sprigs each fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary
2-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp plus a few shakes Garlic Earth Italian Garlic Seasoning
black pepper
1/2 cup grated Italian Cheeses


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of a large baking dish. Halve the potatoes and toss them into the baking dish and season with a few shakes of the Italian Seasoning and some pepper.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, half & half, butter, herbs, garlic and 2 tsp. Italian Garlic Seasoning. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook over low heat for about 20-30 minutes, stirring often. This will infuse the half & half and cream with flavor. Note: This last italicized part was added on 12/27/09. I found that simmering the mixture for a while really helps to add more flavor.

Using a slotted spoon, pull out the herbs, then pour the hot cream mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and top begins to brown. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.