Bottom line: This is a very nice recipe. I amped it up using more cheese and a variety of cheeses. I had equal amounts of swiss cheese, parmegiano reggiano and extra sharp hard provolone, all grated. The typical recipe uses only cheddar cheese, which is perfectly fine, but no match for my chosen cheese combination, which is "Wow!" in the taste department.
I make raw potato slices 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch thick using my commercial meat slicer because it is very fast, but you can easily use a mandolin or even a high quality food processor with a variable thickness slicing option. I then rinse the excess starch from the slices and let them drain.
Ingredients:
4 cups (or a bit more) of thinly sliced potatoes (about 1/16th inch to 1/8th inch thick ... about 3 very large russet baking potatoes)
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
2 1/2 cups of milk, divided
1 teaspoon of salt
1 dash of cayenne pepper
1 cup (or a bit more) of grated sharp cheddar or other cheese(s) (white and/or yellow, your choice)
1 cup of grated cheese(s), to sprinkle on top
A light sprinkling of paprika as a garnish
Directions:
Turn on the oven and set the temperature to 350ºF.
Melt the butter on low heat in a one quart saucepan and blend in the flour to make a roux.
Let the roux rest for a minute.
Add 1 1/2 cups of the cold milk gradually while stirring with a whisk.
Season the mixture with the salt and the cayenne pepper.
Cook the sauce on medium heat while stirring with a whisk until it is smooth and boiling.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the first cup of grated cheese(s).
Place half of the sliced potatoes into a lightly buttered 1 1/2 quart oven casserole.
Pour half of the cheese sauce over potatoes.
Repeat with the second layer of potatoes and the cheese sauce.
Add the remaining one cup of milk along the outside edges of the potato slices.
Sprinkle the cup of remaining cheese(s) on top.
Top the casserole with some paprika for color.
Bake uncovered for about 1 hour at 350ºF.
Serve hot.
Expect applause. You will get it.
Here is a similar recipe to the one for scalloped potatoes with cheese but with bread crumbs on top, named as I would expect, Potatoes Au Gratin. I changed the potato requirement, the baking temperature and the time to accommodate the use of very thinly sliced raw potatoes.
Ingredients:
4 cups of diced cooked potatoes (Nah! Use raw thinly sliced potatoes, just like in the first recipe.)
6 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 cup of shredded cheese(s)
Salt and pepper
1 cup of soft bread crumbs
Directions:
Turn the oven on and set the temperature to 350ºF.
Prepare four cups of very thinly sliced (1/16th") raw potatoes using a food processor or mandolin.
Place the potatoes in a shallow, lightly buttered, broiler-proof baking dish.
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a one quart saucepan over medium-low heat.
Remove 3 tablespoons of the melted butter to a cup or a bowl; set aside.
Add the flour to the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the saucepan.
Stir to blend and form a roux.
Gradually add the milk while stirring with a whisk.
Add the salt and the pepper.
Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth.
Add the cheese and continue stirring until the cheese is melted.
Pour the sauce over the potatoes in the baking dish. Mix gently.
Put the bread crumbs into a bowl, drizzle them with the remaining melted butter and toss them to coat them with butter.
Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs evenly over the potatoes.
Bake the potatoes au gratin at 350ºF for about 45 minutes, then broil until light golden brown on top.
Serve and enjoy along with other meal items.
Variation:
Bread crumb topping made with garlic can be quite tasty.
Melt 2 tbsp. of butter in a sauté pan.
Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook just until soft.
Add 1 cup of bread crumbs.
Sauté while stirring until lightly browned.