Potatoes And Tomatoes Au Gratin Recipes

CREAMY AU GRATIN POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a medium casserole dish.
• Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

POTATO-TOMATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a large saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in 3 tablespoons olive oil, and then add the onions, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook 6 minutes, stirring often, and then turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter, and cook 15 minutes, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon, until the onions start to caramelize. Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are a deep golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• Use a mandoline to slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Toss them with the cream, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper.
• Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange them on a plate and season with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper.
• Place half the caramelized onions in an even layer in a 9-by-9-inch (or equivalent) gratin or baking dish. Arrange one layer of alternating potatoes and tomatoes on top of the onion layer. Layer a couple of slices of cheese and scatter some olives over the cheese. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the cream from the potatoes and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, a healthy pinch of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and half the basil.
• Scatter the rest of the caramelized onions over the potatoes and tomatoes. Arrange another layer of potatoes, tomatoes and cheese on top; make this layer pretty, because it will be the top of your gratin. Pour the remaining cream from the potatoes and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the potatoes and tomatoes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme, olives and basil. Press the vegetables down with your fingers. The cream and oil will come up through the layers and coat the vegetables evenly.
• Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until the potatoes are tender when pierced, about 2 hours. Remove the gratin from the oven and uncover it, being careful of the steam.
• Turn the oven up to 450 degrees F and return the gratin, uncovered, to the oven. Cook until the juices have thickened and the top is nice and golden brown (as in "gratineed"), another 25 to 30 minutes.

SIMPLE AU GRATIN POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add potatoes and onion., Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake 1 hour. Uncover; bake 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. If desired, top with additional pepper.

PROVENCAL TOMATO POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Brush a shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) with 2 tablespoons oil. Arrange tomato slices in 1 layer in baking pan and sprinkle with a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast tomatoes until just tender (not falling apart), about 20 minutes.
• While tomatoes roast, cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and toss with 5 tablespoons oil in a large bowl.
• Remove tomatoes from oven and put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Arrange potato slices in 1 layer in 2 shallow baking pans (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and sprinkle each pan with a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast potatoes, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until tender, about 16 minutes total.
• While potatoes roast, mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer paste to a bowl and stir in bread crumbs, basil, thyme, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Preheat broiler.
• Arrange tomatoes and potatoes in 1 layer in gratin dish, alternating slices and overlapping them, and spoon any juices from tomatoes into dish. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and broil 5 to 7 inches from heat, checking frequently after 1 minute (crumbs can brown quickly), until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

POTATOES AND TOMATOES AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Grill bacon until crisp and crumble.
• Preheat oven to 375F and butter an earthenware dish.
• Combine cheese and breadcrumbs, parsley, chives and season (I often add a minced clove of garlic, too).
• First put a layer using 1/2 of the potatoes, then 1/3 of the tomatoes, sprinkle with 1/2 of cheese and 1/2 of bacon; repeat layering one more time in the same manner; finally, top with remaining tomatoes; drizzle cream over.
• Bake 40-45 minutes, until tender and browned.