Potatoes Gratin/Au Gratin Taters

We eat a lot of taters on our house if you haven't noticed. But even I get tired of butter crisped taters and having mashed taters in summer is just wrong. I am still too lazy to fix twice baked taters on the regular, so that leaves me with the option of potatoes gratin.

Now, since The Good Husband is weird about food, I have to call them au gratin taters or he thinks there is something weird in it and won't eat it.

I modified this recipe from an Ina Garten one for tater and fennel gratin. Since I had no fennel this week in my CSA, I just used regular taters.

I slice the taters on my mandolin, trying not to cut my finger off again, so the taters come out uniform in thickness. I also slice them on the thinnest setting so they will cook faster.

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk or half and half
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

~Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.

~Saute onions and garlic in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender. Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of milk or half and half, 2 cups of cheddar, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed onion and garlic and mix well.

~Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk or half and half and 1/2 cup of cheddar and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

recipe modified from: Ina Garten