- 8
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 2 t olive oil
- 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1/2 t sea salt, divided
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3/4 t dried thyme
- 1 1/2 T whole-wheat flour
- 2 c low-fat milk.
- 3 oz low-fat Monterey Jack or white cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 1/2 lb Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced as thin as possible (1/8 in or less)
- 2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- 2 T whole-wheat panko
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 2-qu baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add onion, 1/4 t salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 7 mins. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, thyme and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 mins or until onions are coated with flour. Add milk and increase heat to medium-high. When liquid begins to simmer, reduce heat to low and cook until mixture thickens slightly, ,about 4 mins. Add three-quarters of Monterey Jack and remaining 1/4 t salt, and stir until melted, about 1 min. Remove from heat.
3. Arrange half of potatoes in an even layer in prepared baking dish. Cover with half of onion mixture. Repeat with remaining potatoes and onion mixture.
4. In a small bowl, combine remaining Monterey Jack, Parmigiano-Reggiano and panko; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Bake potatoes in center of oven for 70-85 mins or until potatoes in center of dish feel tender when pierced with a fork. When finished baking, remove potatoes fro oven and sprinkle evenly with cheese panko mixture. Preheat broiler to high and return baking dish to oven and broil until cheese is melted, about 2 mins. Let cool for 10-15 mins before serving.
Variations:
Southwestern: Replace the onions with 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper, the thyme with dried oregano, and the Monterey Jack cheese with a low-fat pepper jack variety. Eliminate the garlic and 1/2 c frozen corn, defrosted, when you add the cheese to the milk mixture.
Mushroom and Swiss: Use only half of the onion and saute it along with 8 oz sliced white mushrooms, until mushrooms are tender. Replace the Monterey Jack cheese with a low-fat Swiss.
Turkey Casserole:
Turn this side dish into a meal by browning 3/4 lb lean ground turkey breast in a skillet coated with cooking spray over med-high heat. Transfer the cooked ground turkey to a paper-towel-lined plate. Then proceed with the recipe as written, reducing the potatoes to 2 lb and using only half of the onion. Add the cooked turkey to the milk mixture when you add the cheese.