Saturday, June 7, 2008

Creamy Potato Casserole

You'll savor the nutty flavor of Gruyere cheese and the smokiness of Black Forest ham in this modern take on the classic potato-ham bake.

Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1-3/4 cups milk
1/2 of an 8-oz. pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), cut up
1 cup Gruyére cheese, shredded (4 oz.)
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh chives or green onions
1-1/2 lb. Yukon gold or round red potatoes, cut in thin wedges
8 oz. sliced cooked Black Forest ham or country ham, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely crushed bagel chips
Thyme and/or Italian parsley leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside.
2. For sauce, in medium saucepan cook onion in hot butter over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender; stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and mustard. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in Neufchâtel cheese until smooth. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the Gruyére cheese until cheese is melted. Stir in chives.
3. In bowl combine potatoes, ham, and sauce; toss gently to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
4. Bake, covered, 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Uncover; stir carefully. Sprinkle with crushed chips and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Let stand, 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with herbs. Serves 6.

2 comments:

April said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
April said...

Are these also known as "funeral potatoes"? I love funeral potatoes but have never had an actual recipe for them. They are so good! This recipe looks great!