potato cassarole

also known sometimes as potatoes au gratin, but ours lacks the crunchy stuff on top that defines a proper au gratin, or scalloped potatoes, though I gather that can be any number of forms so long as the potatoes are sliced.

2-3 potatoes thinly sliced into medalians

1 1/2 - 2 c white sauce*

pepper

opt. thinly sliced cheese(s) (we used pepper jack and cheddar today)

Set oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the bottom of a square baking pan. Layer half the potato slice in the bottom. Spead half the cheese over the potatoes. Layer on the other half of the potatoes and cheese. Pour sauce over the top, just enough to almost cover the potatoes. Sprinkle with peppter. Cover with foil. Bake 45 min, remove foil, and bake for up to 15 min more until liquid thickens. (

--To make an official au gratin, omit cheese and sprinkle a blend of crushed crackers or bed crumbs and melted butter over the top.
--Alternatively, use it all to make a filling and decorative one-dish meal for 2-3 people or a decorative side dish for many.)

white sauce

2 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/2 - 2 c milk

Melt the butter, mix in the flour, and slowly add in the milk. Since this dish is going to be baked, I used a microwaveable bowl to melt the butter, added the flour, then about half the milk, heated the mix about half a minute and stirred the resulting mix until smooth before adding the rest of the milk to make a thin sauce.

If white sauce is going to be used as a base for gravy or other sauce to be served on already cooked food, make it a pan, stir constantly, bring to a boil, and simmer until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency for serving.