Garlic and Herb Potato Gratin and a Foodie Thanksgiving

by Dorothy Reinhold on November 13, 2011


Print This Post Print This Post Garlic and Herb Potato Gratin

An early Thanksgiving with Los Angeles-based foodie pals allowed me to make one of my favorite, easiest, most guaranteed delicious turkey-day side dishes – Garlic and Herb Potato Gratin.

It’s an elegant, richly magnificent potato dish that does the bird proud. Take a look at this groaning table of delectables and see how nicely it fits in. I also made my famous Fresh Cranberry-Ginger Relish, sitting square in the middle of the action below. (See list below for full menu with recipe links.)

Blogger Thanksgiving tableThe sauce is a cinch with cream, half and half and a little secret — Boursin cheese, which is usually available in grocery stores in the deli case near the other specialty cheese. If you haven’t tried Boursin before, now’s your excuse, because it perfectly flavors the potatoes without any single overwhelming note. I have amped it up with a little bit more garlic and herbs, just because.

I’m calling for Idaho Yukon Gold potatoes, because I have come to prefer those with their buttery, moist flesh, but feel free to use whatever potato you favor.

A holiday-worthy gratin isn’t going to get much easier than this. I’ll save my kitchen time to labor over a fancy dessert. And call me when you have served the last portion, because I’ll be right over to stick my head in the pan and lick it clean.

Yes, it’s that good!

Recipe: Garlic and Herb Potato Gratin

Summary: A rich, comforting, elegant yet easy Garlic and Herb Potato Gratin is a perfect Thanksgiving side dish, or try it for Christmas with prime rib, or at Easter alongside ham.

Ingredients

  • Bite of Garlic and Herb Potato Gratin1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup half and half (or whipping cream)
  • 1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin cheese with garlic and herbs
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced Italian flat parsley (about 1/3 cup leaves measured before mincing)
  • 2 fat garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 3 pounds organic Idaho Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced (about 1/8-inch-thick slices)
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Garnish: Fresh chives, snipped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter (or mist with nonstick spray) a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with 2-inch-high sides and set dish aside.
  2. In a heavy medium-sized saucepan, heat cream, half and half, Boursin cheese and salt over low heat until cheese melts and mixture is smooth, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly as it heats. (Keep an eye on this so it doesn’t boil over, which will make a huge mess on your stove! Trust me on this.) When sauce is melted and mixed, remove pan from heat and stir in the parsley and garlic.
  3. Arrange half of sliced potatoes in prepared baking dish. Generously season potatoes with pepper. Ladle half of sauce mixture over. Arrange remaining potato slices atop potatoes in dish, creating a pretty overlapping shell pattern if you like. Season again with a grinding of fresh pepper. Ladle remaining sauce mixture over potatoes. Bake until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender when pierced with knife, about 55-60 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven, garnish with snipped chives, and serve, or place hot dish on a buffet table and allow diners to serve themselves.
  5. Serves 8-10.

Quick notes

Adults like the extra added chives; children will be grateful if you omit them so they don’t have to pick off the little green things. Suit yourself!

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8-10

Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)

My rating 5 stars:  ★★★★★ 1 review(s)

Leftovers?: There won’t be any, but IF there are, you can combine with broth to make a nice little soup! Or how about chop it up a little and put in a frittata, or fry an egg and gently place it atop a pile of these potatoes. Oh yeah….

See anything else on the Thanksgiving table you might like?

Blogger chalkboardHere are the recipes for our whole feast, prepared by some of Los Angeles’ finest food bloggers. All of their sites are worth a visit. Tell ‘em I said hi!

{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

madalin April 18, 2018 at 4:53 am

Taking your famous cranberry-ginger relish and the fab-looking potato gratin to a friend’s for Thanksgiving. Saw you in today’s L.A. Times food section. Well, your hair and camera anyway!

Reply

michele April 8, 2012 at 8:55 am

Very seldom meet a potato gratin I don’t love, but you really got me at the Boursin!!!! What a fabulous idea! Thanks xoxo

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Holly Kinyon November 17, 2011 at 7:06 pm

Taking your famous cranberry-ginger relish and the fab-looking potato gratin to a friend’s for Thanksgiving. Saw you in today’s L.A. Times food section. Well, your hair and camera anyway!

Reply

Christel Shaw November 17, 2011 at 8:32 am

Wow- Love that ! Anyone who loves food is a friend of mine. I like it that you are so passionate. It is contagious !…..and delicious. xx C

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Erina November 16, 2011 at 8:17 am

I’m a frequent visitor at La Fujimama and found you there. Using Boursin is such a great idea! I’m so stealing it.

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Dorothy November 16, 2011 at 11:21 am

Erina,
Hope you make it!

Reply

Fuji Mama November 15, 2011 at 12:55 pm

Boursin?!? No wonder that gratin was so good!!! So glad that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know and spend time with you for the past year and a half (or longer?). How lucky we are to have so many amazing people all living within a relatively small area!

Reply

Dorothy November 15, 2011 at 2:17 pm

Rachael,
Back atcha!

Reply

Kim Bee November 14, 2011 at 3:41 pm

This sure looks amazing. I found you through Tori. Huge fan of hers so when I saw her write up about this I decided I wanted to pop by everyone’s sites and say hello. You guys are so lucky to have had such an amazing dinner together. What a wonderful experience. Have a fabulous week.

Reply

Dorothy November 14, 2011 at 5:34 pm

Kim,
thank you!

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sippitysup November 14, 2011 at 2:26 pm

What a way to bring on the Holidays, huh? GREG

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Priscilla - She's Cookin' November 13, 2011 at 6:00 pm

Oooh, your gratin definitely looks like the perfect side! Fabulous Thanksgiving roundup – the table is, indeed, groaning with deliciousness 🙂

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grace November 13, 2011 at 5:53 pm

Oh, I’ve got to make those potatoes. They look fabulous and sound even better. The Thanksgiving table looks terrific too. Too bad our Thanksgiving has come and gone but it might be nice to celebrate it again just for that food.

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