ham, cheddar & potato gratin

This is a smellavision recipe — I swear if you could smell the aroma of it, you’d want to leap into this photo. It’s warm and luscious, too, a weekend casserole that originated in my book Cabin Cooking but has morphed over the years into a simple, quick dinner I make all the time. Serve it with a crunchy salad for balance, such as kale and apple salad. Or reheat for breakfast and serve with a poached egg on top. If you don’t eat ham, leave it out and sprinkle each layer of potatoes with salt as you assemble the gratin.

ingredients

butter for greasing dish
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced
8 ounces good-quality baked ham, diced or chopped fine
3 Idaho (baking) potatoes, scrubbed
8 ounces (2 cups) grated sharp cheddar cheese
freshly ground pepper

directions

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a 2-quart gratin pan or 11×7-inch baking dish.

In a small saucepan, bring the broth and cream just to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn it off.

Meanwhile, toss the green onions and ham together in a bowl. Slice the potatoes (you don’t have to peel them, but discard narrow ends) as thinly as possible, ideally on a mandolin, or by hand at least 1/8-inch thick. Arrange one third of the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of the prepared dish. Top with half of the diced ham and onions, then a third of the grated cheese. Grind on some pepper. Repeat layers, ending with a layer of potatoes then cheese. Pour the broth-cream mixture over all, distributing as evenly as possible. Bake the gratin, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned, about 1 hour.