HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
What a year 2012 was! This holiday season we were chock full of festivities as we hosted Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and New Year’s Eve. With all the celebrating, it was a great time to test out a bunch of recipe ideas. This recipe was a winner (admittedly among a stinker attempt or two) and who couldn’t use a few more really impressive looking appetizer recipes up their sleeve. When you think of gorgeous, delicate appetizers I’d wager that the humble potato doesn’t come to mind. Dowdy and unassuming, the potato can be easily overlooked, but with a little slicing and herbs it is easily transformed.
I recommend a mandolin for slicing the potatoes so the slices are fairly uniform in thickness and cook evenly. Trust me, I think mandolins are scary as hell and a couple years ago even cut the tip of my thumb off trying to use one on a butternut squash! Seriously. Super duper gross. This recipe was the first time I’ve touched that menacing little torture tool since it took a hunk of my flesh. I’m glad I did because I’m pretty sure it’d have taken me a lifetime to thinly slice all of those potatoes! So here’s to the humble potato and overcoming kitchen fears in the new year! HA!
- 1-1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes – each slightly larger than a golf ball
- coarse sea salt and ground pepper
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves (or finely chopped fresh thyme)
- 2 diced green onions or 1 diced shallot
- ½ cup grated gruyere cheese
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 6 cup muffin tin or a large baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
- Thinly slice potatoes, preferably with a mandolin to ensure uniform thickness. Place a few slices in each cup and top with cheese, onion, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Continue layering potatoes and seasoning every few slices, until stacks reach top of baking dish.
- Pour roughly 1 tablespoon heavy cream over each. Cover and bake until potatoes are golden brown and tender, about 40 minutes, removing cover half way through baking to get them nice and crispy on the edges. Gently scoop them out and serve immediately.
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