creamy broccoli cheddar potatoes au gratin
Loads of cheese EVERYWHERE on FMG? Can’t stop, won’t stop, until my digestive system tells me to.
We love broccoli cheddar soup, we love potatoes, so why not fuse them for a Thanksgiving side worth swooning over? When I baked these off a few days ago, J and I about lost our shit over how delicious they proved to be. Really, if you give either of us a heaping pile of gooey, melted, bubbling hot cheese and potatoes, we’ll probably be indebted to your soul for eternity.
Thankfully, I don’t ask for a pound of flesh or your unfailing love in exchange for this Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Potatoes Au Gratin recipe. I just ask that you make it, or leastwise admire its beauty from a virtual distance. Very simple take on a classic comfort food, this side is perfectly apt for your Thanksgiving spread to switch up the usual mashed potatoes and give the humble tuber a seriously fabulous upgrade.
Step one: Slice it
If you have a mandolin, cool, good for you. You’re a step ahead of me. If you don’t, a good sharp knife, a keen eye, and a stable hand do the trick. If you don’t have the ladder, enlist help. I am not liable for severed digits.
The potatoes needn’t be 100% uniform, but 1/8 inch is a good guideline for the thickness. If they’re too unwieldy, you’ll fit fewer in the dish and they’ll take longer to bake, which means more hungry mouths and more time from start to finish. If you can manage 1/16 inch or similar, all the better.
For the broccoli, cut down the florets into around 1/2 inch pieces. Again, not too huge, but not itty bitty either.
Step Two: A Saucy Attitude
Now: the cheese sauce. More or less a classic roux jazzed up with cheese, as if making queso but not quite.
Saute some garlic and thyme in a few pats of butter, then whisk in flour. This creates the thickness needed to support the sauce. Slowly stream in a combination of milk and heavy cream, constantly whisking around the incorporate. Bring to a gentle simmer and heat 5 minutes or so until the sauce transforms into a creamy viscosity. Stir in some cheddar and fontina cheeses – the fontina isn’t really necessary, but I think it adds an extra buttery texture alongside the cheddar.
Grease a big casserole dish and pour about 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce into the bottom, swirling to coat. In one layer, line up the potatoes like little toy soldiers. A single layer is key to prevent uneven baking. Spread the broccoli on top. Pour the rest of the sauce overtop, watching it creep and melt into every crevice. Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar over everything.
Cover the dish in foil and bake for 50-55 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove the foil and bake for 30-35 minutes more.
While the cook time might appear intimidating, the process is a snap. If you’ve many dishes to cook off for Thanksgiving, you can pair them together in the oven if the temperatures are the same. The upcoming stuffing and these potatoes, for instance, share an oven like old pals. Just be mindful of keeping the cook times straight. That might be awkward for one or both of them.
In your spare time, you can certainly toss together a Shaved Broccoli and Kale Salad or the Sweet n’ Savory Butternut Squash Apple and Pomegranate Salad. Multitasking is a useful life skill in times of great need, such as Thanksgiving.
If juggling knives isn’t your thing, no sweat. Sit back with a Maple Sage Old Fashioned and watch the chaos blow up around you. Like that dog meme where the room’s on fire and he sits stagnant at a coffee table whispering “This is fine” with a coffee in hand.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced (1/8 inch)
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large casserole dish with butter or oil.
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Saute garlic and thyme for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and golden. Whisk in the flour until no clumps remain, about 30-60 seconds. Slowly stream in the milk and heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Heat 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the fontina and half of the cheddar cheese. Taste for salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Scoop 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish. In a single layer, arrange the potato slices. Top with the broccoli florets. Pour the rest of the cream sauce overtop. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil. Bake 50-55 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the cheese golden and bubbly. Let cool 5 minutes on the counter before scooping and serving.
