Mashed Potato Gratin

Although it seems that most of what I choose to cook is somewhat Italian related I am actually of Scotch Irish dissent (at least on one side of the family) and not surprisingly LOVE potato dishes.  I have two cookbooks dedicated completely to potatoes which is pretty amazing when you think about it.  I mean, really, how many different things can you actually do with potatoes?  And when you look at the recipes you learn that many are minor variations of classic potato + cheese and bake dishes.  Well, recently I came across what for me was a new twist on things in an issue of  Cooking Light Magazine - Mashed Potato Gratin. 

I made this dish for the first time recently and it became an immediate favorite.  The texture of the potatoes is very similar to the texture of potatoes on top of a good sheppard's pie - very fluffy.  And considering the small amount of butter and the use of skim milk the recipe is still very rich and satisfying because of the cheeses.  I cut the recipe in half and still had lots of leftovers which reheated really well with a little milk so that they became more of the classic mashed potato dish.


Ingredients:

4 lbs Potatoes – cut into 2 inch cubes
1 cup Fontina cheese – shredded and divided
¾ cup Gruyere cheese – shredded and divided
1½ Tbsp Butter
1 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper
1 cup 1% Milk - warmed

Directions:

Boil potatoes 15 min or till tender, drain and return to pan. Add ¾ cup of fontina cheese, ½ cup gruyere cheese, butter, salt, pepper and mash until well combined. Add warm milk and continue mashing until reach desired texture. Spoon into 13 X 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheeses and cover with foil. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, remove foil and set up to broil and broil for 5 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.