So, what do you do when you have company coming for dinner, 2 pints of heavy cream left over from Christmas, and a partial loaf of Pepper Jack cheese in your refrigerator desperately needing to be used? Not to mention eight beautiful Yukon gold potatoes longing to know how they fit in to the whole dinner party menu? Well, the answer is obvious. You make a gratin!

So yesterday, as I was contemplating the “potato” portion of my already twice changed menu, I decided to go on line and see if anyone else had possibly ever thought of using Pepper Jack cheese in a potato gratin. Once again I was reminded that there isn’t a combination of ingredients out there that hasn’t already been considered! I tell you, the internet is not good for my ego. I think I have an original idea, and then there in black and white for everyone to read is my idea already conceived and brought to fruition. Of course, hoping I could find a recipe already written was why I searched the internet in the first place! But logic has no place in this rant. So I’m just going to wallow in feeling once again usurped! But in all fairness, I do have to thank Wegmans, a grocery store chain back east for their recipe. I made a couple small changes, but I felt they were necessary not only for the outcome of the dish but also to help heal my bruised ego.

I was a bit skeptical of Wegmans recipe because I have had problems with potato casseroles in the past not getting done in the time reflected in the directions. So I did add some time, and it worked out perfectly.

Now this is not a low calorie gratin. This is a special occasion potato dish. But I am telling you true, for that once-in-a-while treat, you could not prepare an easier or more delicious side dish. Last evening I served the potatoes with Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, Spinach Salad, and Caribbean Cornbread, all of which are on this site.

So do yourself a favor and fix this gratin next time you have a dinner party or special occasion feast. It is so creamy and delicious. And as strange as it may seem, it isn’t as rich as you might think from reading the recipe. It’s actually just a lovely potato dish. Thank you for the recipe Mr. Wegman, wherever and whoever you might be. And sorry for the slight changes I made.

• 3½ c. heavy cream, divided
• 12 oz. (3 c.) grated pepper Jack cheese
• 4 oz. (1 c.) grated white cheddar cheese
• 1½ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly grounds black pepper
• 4 lbs. peeled Yukon gold potatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick* (about 8 medium sized potatoes)

Pour 2½ cups of the cream in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cheeses, salt, and pepper. Add the potatoes and using the best tool in your kitchen, your hands, mix until each slice of potato is coated with the creamy mess. (If you can do this step without using your hands, you are a much more coordinated person than I am!) 

Transfer potato-cheese mixture to a lightly buttered shallow ovenproof baking dish. Press down on the mixture to make sure all the potatoes are firmly in place. Pour as much of the remaining 1 cup of cream over the whole mess just until the potatoes are totally covered.  

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven. If the top is already a nice golden brown in spots, loosely tent the dish with aluminum foil to prevent the top from getting too brown. Return pan to oven and bake for an additional hour or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

*I use the 4MM slicing disc on my Cuisinart food processor