Potato Gratin

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1¼ - 1½ hours

Serves: 4

Description
A hearty autumn or winter dinner, but can be a good year-round vegetarian main dish or as a side dish. Add an onion and some cubed ham steaks to make it heartier for the meat eaters in your family.

Ingredients

 * 1 garlic clove
 * 5 large baking potatoes, peeled (Idaho potatoes work well)
 * 3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 * 2½ cups vegetable or chicken stock
 * pinch of grated nutmeg
 * salt and black pepper
 * 1 yellow onion, sliced (optional)
 * cubed ham steak (optional)

Directions
Note: For an almost fat-free dish, you can omit the Parmesan cheese as long as you use 100% fat free chicken stock and are not using the ham. I like using the reduced sodium/fat free stock from Swanson.
 * 1) Preheat the oven to 400°F . Halve the garlic clove and rub the cut surface over the base and sides of a large shallow gratin dish.
 * 2) Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice very thinly (a mandolin works very well for this, if you have one) and arrange a layer over the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of sliced onions and ham, if using. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
 * 3) Continue layering the potatoes and cheese (and onions/ham) until you reach the top of the pan. Add the stock, then sprinkle with the grated nutmeg.
 * 4) Bake for 1¼ - 1½ hours, or until the potatoes are tender and the tops are well-browned.