Goat Cheese & Potato Gratin

To make up for my lack of posting I am giving you a good one.  A Valentine's or Christmas dinner good one.  Make this Goat Cheese & Potato Gratin for those you love.  Trust me they will love you back.

Goat Cheese & Potato Gratin
4 large servings
1 1/2 pounds of fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp fried onions, crumbled
Gray Salt & Black Pepper
1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat oven at 350 degrees

Slowly melt butter on the stove-top, add the 1/2 & 1/2 and the garlic to the butter, stirring to blend and then remove from the heat (watch closely so the mixture doesn't boil over).

In a small bowl toss together the fried onions and red pepper flakes, set aside.

Begin with a layer of potatoes in the bottom of your gratin pan (approximately 1/3 of your potatoes per layer).  Sprinkle the potatoes with salt, pepper & 1/3 of your onions and pepper mixture & finally with 1/3 of your cheeses. Add your next layer of potatoes and before seasoning slightly press down with a spatula to compact the layers.  Repeat the process creating a total of 3 layers, but wait to add the final cheese.  Pour the garlic 1/2 & 1/2 over your layered potatoes, and finally top with remaining cheese.  Bake uncovered for about an hour and 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and top with the fresh thyme sprigs.  At this point tent your dish tightly and leave for 10 minutes.  Uncover, remove the thyme, & Serve.

And delicious the next time we made it

 Isn't this just gorgeous! We got to lounge all of Easter weekend and enjoy this view...