Casserole: Potatoes au gratin

Subject: Potatoes au gratin
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Ray Maisano (maisanoNO at SPAMmindspring.com)
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 13:45:21 -0500
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Can someone post a recipe???
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 13:01:28 -0600
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Ray Maisano wrote:
> Can someone post a recipe???

Couldn't be easier. This is how mom makes them.

6 medium potatoes
1 small onion, minced
1/4 c. butter
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 c. milk
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese *
1/4 c. dry breadcrumbs
paprika

Wash potatoes (leave skins on if you prefer, or peel) and cut into thin slices. Place potatoes in a pan with cold water and 1 tsp. lemon juice to prevent discoloring.

In medium saucepan, melt butter. Cook and stir onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt & pepper. Cook, stirring, until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and 1-1/2 c. cheese (*you can use any kind you like). Return to heat. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, cooking 1 minute, until the sauce is nicely thickened and smooth.

Drain the potatoes well and place in a 2 quart quart casserole dish. Pour sauce over top and mix lightly. Bake uncovered at 325 F degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes, or at 375 F for 1 hour.

Mix together remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over potatoes. Dust lightly with paprika. Bake about 5 minutes longer, or until bubbly and top is browned. Serves 6-8
From: Alan Moorman (amoorman at visi.com)
Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 15:08:59 -0600
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> Couldn't be easier. This is how mom makes them.
> 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese *

Maybe we could restart the discussion about how "au gratin" doesn't mean "with cheese"?

...or maybe not!

:-)
From: Billy (wstoneman at icx.net)
Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 14:32:33 -0500
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Ray Maisano wrote:
> Can someone post a recipe???

Sure!! and it is great with a few slices of ham stuck in there too Ray!

Myrtlewood Augratin

Categories: Vegetables

3 lb potatoes
1 large onion, thin slice
4 tablespoon flour
1 salt & pepper to taste
10 slice Velveeta cheese
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare 9 x 13 pan and spray with Pam.

Peel and slice potatoes. Keep submerged in water until ready for use.

Drain excess water from potatoes. Place single layer of potatoes in pan, overlapping. Place single layer of onion rings in pan. Sprinkle with flour, lightly. Place single layer of Velveeta slices. Add salt & pepper to taste. Repeat procedure until all ingredients are used with potatoes on top.

Pour cream over entire dish and bake for 55 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 6 servings
From: J Quick (nobody at nowhere.com)
Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 20:43:27 GMT
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Ray Maisano wrote:
> Can someone post a recipe???

If you want a more authentic French recipe, look for Gratin Dauphinoise recipes such as the following:

https://www.recipesource.com/fgv/vegetables/potatoes/00/rec0040.html

Americanized recipes of "au gratin" typically mean "with cheese sauce" (typically cheddar or American cheese) but in French it means "with crust," referring to browned cheese or bread crumbs on top. Therefore, in French recipes the potatoes typically are not in a cheese sauce but a white sauce thickened by the potato starch and cream, seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper and with browned cheese (often gruyere) or bread crumbs on top.

I only mention the difference to distinguish between them. I like them both, but I don't want to get the wrong one when I expect the other.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 15:35:14 -0600
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J Quick wrote:
> If you want a more authentic French recipe, look for Gratin Dauphinoise
> recipes such as the following:

> Americanized recipes of "au gratin" typically mean "with cheese sauce"
> (typically cheddar or American cheese) but in French it means "with crust,"

Thanks for pointing that out. I should have said in my original reply, this was going to spark some discussion.

But, since he's asking for au gratin and didn't specify Dauphinoise, I think he's looking for the 'merkinized version :-)
From: J Quick (nobody at nowhere.com)
Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 22:06:14 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> But, since he's asking for au gratin and didn't specify Dauphinoise, I think
> he's looking for the 'merkinized version :-)

It would help if we Americans just called our version "cheesy potatoes" instead of keeping the Anglicized French name for our bastardized (but good) recipes. ;-)
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 18:54:19 -0600
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J Quick wrote:
> It would help if we Americans just called our version "cheesy potatoes"
> instead of keeping the Anglicized French name for our bastardized (but good)
> recipes. ;-)

How did the term Dauphinoise bastardize into 'au gratin'? I've never confused the two. Maybe it's just me.
From: J Quick (nobody at nowhere.com)
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 09:26:20 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> How did the term Dauphinoise bastardize into 'au gratin'? I've never
> confused the two. Maybe it's just me.

I was referring to the bastardized term "potatoes au gratin" where English is improperly mixed with French and its common meaning is changed. Gratin Dauphinoise isn't commonly known throughout the states, so we haven't bastardized it, yet. <grin>

I know our first step to obliterate it would be to pronounce it as Gray-tin Dow-fi-noyze. <smile>
From: Alan Moorman (amoorman at visi.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Dec 2002 13:47:48 -0600
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J Quick wrote:
>Americanized recipes of "au gratin" typically mean "with cheese sauce"
>(typically cheddar or American cheese) but in French it means "with crust,"

See, I knew we would get this going again!

Let those in the know now explain it again and again to those who aren't in the know!
From: Billy (wstoneman at icx.net)
Date: Sun, 08 Dec 2002 15:04:10 -0500
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J Quick wrote:
> Therefore, in French
>recipes the potatoes typically are not in a cheese sauce but a white sauce
>thickened by the potato starch and cream, seasoned with garlic, salt &
>pepper and with browned cheese (often gruyere) or bread crumbs on top.

Well, I can guarandammtee ya, down at the Rockford United Methodist Church on the Wednesday Night supper...if some one brings potatoes au gratin...............you gonna get taters and american cheese........and probably Velveeta to boot!! None of that browned cheese and bread crumbs on top pretension.
From: Alan Moorman (amoorman at visi.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Dec 2002 19:49:12 -0600
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Billy wrote:
>Well, I can guarandammtee ya, down at the Rockford United Methodist Church on
>the Wednesday Night supper...if some one brings potatoes au
>gratin...............you gonna get taters and american cheese........and
>probably Velveeta to boot!! None of that browned cheese and bread crumbs on
>top pretension.

Would that be Rockford, Illinois?????

I useta live dere.
From: Billy (wstoneman at icx.net)
Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 08:12:53 -0500
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Alan Moorman wrote:

>Would that be Rockford, Illinois?????

No Alan...........but I believe every state has a Rockford.

<VBG>
From: CaptCook (big at bottom.com)
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 11:07:37 -0600
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Billy wrote........
> No Alan...........but I believe every state has a Rockford.

If not you can have ours.
From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 01:42:44 GMT
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Billy wrote:
> No Alan...........but I believe every state has a Rockford.

No.
There is no Rockford, CT.
Rockville, yes, Rockford, No.
So you're wrong.
From: jay (jaydoesnothaveanemailtoshare at nowhere.com)
Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 21:58:45 GMT
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Ray Maisano wrote:
> Can someone post a recipe???

This is good and really easy! You can cut back on the cheese and cream and it still works nicely.

Le Gratin Savoyard (Potatoes in Cream au Gratin)

8 medium potatoes, sliced very thin
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 cups light cream
butter
garlic (optional)

1. Put potatoes into saucepan with salted water to cover bring to boil for 3 minutes. Drain.

2. In buttered oval baking dish, about 12 inches long, (rub garlic pod over baking dish - optional) put a layer of half the potatoes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese and cover with remaining potatoes.

3. Add 2 cups light cream and sprinkle with 1 cup shredded Gruyere.

4. Place under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.

Mary and Vincent Price
From: Ray Maisano (maisanoNO at SPAMmindspring.com)
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 20:13:36 -0500
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Thanks for the suggestions so far. Since I only cook for 2 people, I'll have to scale the recipes down a bit, but I think I can manage.
From: Jill McQuown (jmcquown at bellsouth.net)
Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 16:27:29 -0600
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Ray Maisano wrote:
> Thanks for the suggestions so far. Since I only cook for 2 people, I'll
> have to scale the recipes down a bit, but I think I can manage.

Leftovers, man, leftovers! <G>
From: Alan Moorman (amoorman at visi.com)
Date: Sun, 08 Dec 2002 13:47:48 -0600
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jay wrote:
>This is good and really easy! You can cut back on the cheese and cream
>and it still works nicely.
>
>Le Gratin Savoyard (Potatoes in Cream au Gratin)

That sounds GREAT!
From: Nona (nospamu at dayo.com)
Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 00:14:47 GMT
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jay wrote:
>Le Gratin Savoyard (Potatoes in Cream au Gratin)

It's interesting that someone else also appreciate Vincent and Mary Price's recipes. I've learned to cook more or less using their recipes and Vincent was a great story teller to boot!

Nona (another foodie and hapa)
From: blake murphy (blakem at ix.netcom.com)
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 12:24:04 -0500
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Nona wrote:
>It's interesting that someone else also appreciate Vincent and Mary
>Price's recipes. I've learned to cook more or less using their
>recipes and Vincent was a great story teller to boot!

i'm assuming that the vincent price was the actor in 'theatre of blood'?
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrow at worldnetatt.net)
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 19:22:14 GMT
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blake murphy wrote:
> i'm assuming that the vincent price was the actor in 'theatre of
> blood'?

You are correct. Mr. Price was also an art aficionado. IIRC for a number of years he was an art "consultant" to Sears Roebuck & Co.......

_Theatre Of Blood_ is one of my fave "camp" films. I love it when they force Robert Morley to eat his own poodle!
From: blake murphy (blakem at ix.netcom.com)
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 01:56:35 -0500
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Gregory Morrow wrote:
>You are correct. Mr. Price was also an art aficionado. IIRC for a number
>of years he was an art "consultant" to Sears Roebuck & Co.......
>
>_Theatre Of Blood_ is one of my fave "camp" films. I love it when they
>force Robert Morley to eat his own poodle!

it's a gas, isn't it? and 'hector snipe' has to be the best name ever.
From: nobody at nevermind.com (Frogleg)
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 15:48:34 GMT
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blake murphy wrote:
>i'm assuming that the vincent price was the actor in 'theatre of
>blood'?

So? It always annoys me that entertainers exhibit other talents. Doesn't seem fair that many are accomplished (and salable) painters or authors or...cooks. But they are. The Price cookbook is something of a classic.
From: sf at pipeline.com (sf)
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 02:23:54 GMT
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Frogleg wrote:
> So? It always annoys me that entertainers exhibit other talents.
> Doesn't seem fair that many are accomplished (and salable) painters or
> authors or...cooks. But they are. The Price cookbook is something of a
> classic.

Could it be that Blake was just making an innocent connection??? If "you" don't understand that actors can have other talents, then you're a hick (unsophisticated) in the worst sense of the word.
From: blake murphy (blakem at ix.netcom.com)
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 14:53:35 -0500
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sf wrote:
>Could it be that Blake was just making an innocent
>connection??? If "you" don't understand that actors can
>have other talents, then you're a hick (unsophisticated) in
>the worst sense of the word.

i thought i had heard that the actor was a very good cook. 'theatre of blood' is an excellent movie, co-starring diana rigg.

your pal,
hector