Potatoes Gratin

Perfect for winter.

Potatoes – peeled and sliced fairly thin (not sure how many – enough to fill a 12 x 8 x 2 pan, maybe 8 medium potatoes. I’ve used Yukon Gold)

One medium onion, cut in half and sliced
2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter (use the real thing)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Saute the onion in a little butter, over medium heat in a fry pan until soft and golden. Set aside.

To make sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir together 1-2 minutes until combined and cooked a bit. Slowly add 2 cups of milk while stirring. If you want to speed things up, heat the milk in a separate pan first (but don’t let it come to a boil) and then add it to the butter and flour.

This is the boring part: keep stirring until the sauce thickens – 5-10 minutes. It should be creamy, and drip off the spoon slowly. Once it’s thick, reduce the heat to low and stir 1 cup of cheese into the sauce. Once the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, turn off the heat.

Add the onion to the sauce.

Layer the potatoes and sauce in the pan, making sure the onion is distributed throughout. Cover the top with the remaining cup of shredded cheese. Bake for about 1 hour or until top is brown and potatoes are soft.