We’ve all had the boxed au gratin potatoes growing up…well now it’s time to learn how to make it from scratch! It’s literally only __ minutes of cooking, then just stick it in the oven and wait while it bakes! You can’t mess it up (I’ve even accidentally used vanilla soy milk before, and it STILL came out delicious). It’s so oozy goozy you will crave it time and time again! The onions and garlic compliment the soft potatoes so nicely. Come on…melted cheese and potatoes…total winning combination!
4 tablespoons of butter
1 onion (sliced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 ¼ cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
5-6 potatoes (washed)
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thinly slice the potatoes.
Butter a casserole dish (I use a 9×9 or 9×13…both work great). Lay half of the potato slices into the dish.
In a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add in the sliced onion and garlic with a sprinkle of salt. Sautee for around 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour (it will be clumpy). Cook the butter with the flour for 2-3 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and stir in the milk. Add all the cheddar cheese and stir until it melts into the milk/flour mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes (or until all the cheese is melted). Stir in a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Spoon half of the cheese mixture into the casserole dish. Lay out the rest of the potato slices. Pour the remaining cheese mixture on top of the slices so everything is coated. Cover in foil and put into the oven to bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven. Uncover. Sprinkle the panko over the top of the potatoes. Reinsert into the oven (uncovered) and bake for about 15-20 minutes more.
Serve hot, enjoy!