Sides | The Humble Onion

Potato Leek Gratin

December 23, 2020

If you were to pose that famous question to me, what would you choose for your last dinner, this would be on the menu for sure. The tender potatoes infused with the garlic and thyme and cream, the perfume of leeks that is the best compliment to potatoes there can be, and the crunchy, cheesy, butter topping give that oh so satisfying combination of gooey-cheesy-tender-crunchy that is the stuff of dreams.

This dish is just perfect.

We are having it with Bobby Flay’s Prime Rib and my mother-in-law’s famous Christmas sides which are delicious and easy – her Horseradish Carrots (so good it is the leftover you reach for first, and her Spinach Souffle.

I think with this gratin we will have the trifecta of sides and I am not sure what I am more excited for, the presents or the dinner.

Like so much good food, this dish starts with the simplest of ingredients. I once had to host Christmas last minute and had all of these on hand.

If you have a mandolin it makes the job of slicing the potatoes so easy. I like the skins on to provide a bit of body to the dish and because I don’t have to peel them. I used the 1/8 inch setting and love it, it ensures that it bakes through and gets soft and tender and you aren’t left with hard potatoes.

Once you have these sliced, you cut up the leeks taking care to remove any dirt between the layers. Then you arrange a layer of the potatoes, sprinkle with about a 1/3 of the cut leeks, then repeat making 3 layers depending on your pan. It’s pretty unfussy and rustic (read: easy) so don’t worry too much.

When you have done this, you heat two cups of cream in a sauce pan over medium heat, and add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. This heats quickly so watch it so it doesn’t scorch or boil over. Once the salt has dissolved, pour it evenly over the whole dish.

At this point, it smells AH-mazing.

Then you wrap it in foil, cook it for 30 min. at 350. Then you add the toppings:

Sprinkle the grated cheese all over it. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and mix it with the panko and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle that over the top, and bake it uncovered for an additional 45 min.

The ingredients are so simple, but this dish couldn’t be more special, which is why it’s perfect for Christmas dinner.

I hope you all get to try it, you will be thanking me! And I hope you have a blessed, healthy, and joyfilled Christmas!

xoxo Katie

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
2 1/2 pounds Russet or yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, thinly sliced ( I used 1/8 inch on mandoline)
1 thick or 2 slimmer leeks, halved, washed, cut into 1-inch segments
2 cups heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs (panko or homemade are great here)
3/4 cup coarsely grated gruyère, comte, or baby swiss cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8×12-inch or 3-quart baking dish. Cut garlic clove in have and rub all over the dish.Working in layers, arrange a layer of sliced potatoes on an angle, slightly fanned, in different directions filling the pan loosely. Sprinkle 1/3 of the leeks on top, then add another layer of sliced potatoes, repeating until you have 3 layers. In a medium saucepan, bring cream, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, garlic, and thyme to a simmer, stirring to ensure the salt dissolves. Pour hot cream mixture evenly over the pan, trying to evenly coat the potatoes and leeks. Cover pan tightly with foil, place on a baking sheet to catch any drips, and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 2 remaining tablespoons butter. Add breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper to taste and mix to evenly coat.

At 30 minutes, briefly remove pan from oven and remove foil. Sprinkle top evenly with cheese, then scatter with buttered breadcrumbs. Return to the oven without foil for 45 minutes, until potatoes are totally tender, the top is browned, and the edges are bubbly. [Insert a knife or skewer into potatoes to feel for crunch or resistance. Return to the oven if needed.]

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving hot.

Do ahead: Gratin can be assembled the day before and baked before a big meal. It can also be baked for 30 minutes (the foil-on portion) and cooled, finishing the baking time the next day. Gratin reheats well in a 350-degree oven. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Pane Cotta

January 15, 2019

I first saw this dish called Pane Cotta on the author Jane Green’s Instagram page – she had it at a restaurant and it was so good she went home and made it and posted a rough recipe of it! It translates to Baked Bread, it’s an Italian peasant meal (read: rustic and delicious).

This was one of the most original things I’ve eaten lately, with totally surprising flavors and textures that worked so well together. The braised escarole mixed with the pancetta and leeks were all somewhat delicate, then mixed with the sharp saltiness of the melted cheese, the meatiness of the white beans (you can use any kind here) and cubes of herby, garlicky bread…

The recipe calls for herbs and garlic and it’s really forgiving – I just sprinkled on some garlic salt, olive oil, and thyme. While the bread is toasting, everything else cooks in the same pan. First you cook some pancetta, then in the same pan you add some butter and some leeks…

Then you braise some escarole in chicken broth, and add some white beans…

Then the thing that really ties the whole dish together is the cheese. I tasted it a little with just parm, and just asiago, then with both of them together, and I liked them combined. But don’t let having only one kind of cheese keep you from making this because its just delicious.

Oh, I forgot to tell you the best part! My kids loved it. This seems like it should be a grown up dish, but really its just a twist on things kids love anyway – bread and cheese. If your kid won’t touch anything green, then I can’t speak for them, but mine will and they asked for seconds.

Like many peasant dishes, it was meant to use up left overs, and I think that is what this dish will be for my kitchen – an amazing way to use up a loaf of bread that is starting to get hard. But really it is nice enough to bring to a pot luck or serve for company, or just to have a nice side dish for a roast over the weekend.

Hope you try this soon, it is such a special dish, and will transport you to Italy for a minute or five, I promise.

Happy Eating! xoxo Katie

Pane Cotta (printer version here):

Ingredients:

3 cups day-old bread, torn up into crouton sized pieces

2 T. olive oil

2 minced garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Fresh herbs, salt and pepper

8 oz. pancetta, diced

2 leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)

2 T. butter

1 head of escarole, rinsed and torn into small pieces

1 cup chicken stock

1 can white beans, rinsed

1 cup of parmesan and/or asiago (I used ½ cup of each)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Place bread on cookie sheet, and toss with olive oil, garlic salt (or minced garlic), fresh herbs if desired, salt and pepper.

While that bakes, cook pancetta on medium high heat until browned, then remove and set aside. Place butter in same pan, and add sliced leeks. Saute until soft, then remove from pan and set aside (can put them on same plate as pancetta). Add escarole with a cup of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer with the lid on for a few minutes until escarole is soft. Mix in a can of rinsed white beans, and add all the other ingredients (bread, pancetta, leeks, etc) to the same pan. Top with grated parmesan and/or asiago cheese, and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Blood Orange Salad

June 1, 2017

This season you can find Blood Oranges in the grocery stores, and if you have ever wondered what to do with them (besides juice them and turn them into sangria or buy some of the packaged fizzy blood orange drinks and also turn them into sangria) this salad will help you out. They are segmented for the salad and used in the dressing, and their unique flavor just permeates this salad. But even if they weren’t in season I would still be craving them since I can’t seem to get enough fruit, especially citrus. (I may have eaten 2 of these salads in a row and then ate a grapefruit.)

They taste like sweet oranges, and have a gorgeous jewel color:

I love the combination of citrus fruit, goat cheese, (or blue or feta) crunchy nuts and vinegary dressing. So think of this as a template, and feel free to swap the blood orange for grapefruit or oranges, and use your favorite cheese and nuts. I used Marcona Almonds with Rosemary from Trader Joes, but I am guessing that ingredient is going to be pretty hard to find elsewhere. But I have to say, there rosemary was a really good note in this salad. So feel free to mix plain Marconas with some of this herb to eat alone or add to salad.

The dressing is really easy. Once you get the hang of making vinaigrettes, it suddenly feels so freeing and the possibilities seem endless. Basics are a 3:1 ratio oil to acid, but I actually prefer mine a little lighter and usually keep it 2:1. But the official stance on vinaigrettes is 3:1. If you want a little ‘tutorial’ I just found this post ‘7 Tips for Making the Perfect Vinaigrette’ that is really helpful, I highly recommend looking it over if you are curious about making your own salad dressing.

I used both blood orange and red wine vinegar here, Dijion, salt and pepper are a must, since you are usually trying to season a lot of veggies and salt brings out all the other flavors. And I found that often times when my vinaigrette needed something it was usually a little sweetness to counter-balance the acidity, and a little Agave syrup or sugar does the trick.

This is such a great first course to a dinner party, or to make a big salad for a party. But it is also great for lunch for 1 or 2, and I have kept the recipe to serve 2. Don’t wait for an invitation to make this – it is too good!

Happy Eating, xoxo Katie

Blood Orange Salad (printer version here):

Ingredients for Dressing:

Juice from 1 blood orange (2 T)

1 T red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon

1 tsp. agave syrup

S&P

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ingredients for 2 Salad Servings:

2 blood orange segmented

4 c. Mixed Greens

2 oz goat cheese

1/2 cup Marcona almonds

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together for dressing, saving oil for the last. Stream oil in, whisking as it is added. Taste with a piece of lettuce to check for seasonings, adding more in needed.

Assemble salad with greens on the bottom. Add dressing just before serving.

The Best Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potatoes (+ 6 flavor combos that I’m loving)

May 3, 2016

Let’s talk about mashed potatoes, can we? I just love them so much. Sitting next to braised meats, or roasted poultry, filled with flavor combos that make us swoon. (And you have to see the new flavor combos listed at the end of this post that I have tried recently.)

Sour cream and chive might be my favorite version of mashed potatoes though. (Told you I had more chive ideas for you!) Given that it is the only seasonal produce I have access too (I am determined to find some fiddlehead ferns though), it makes sense they would be on the brain but seriously, I was craving these since the second I saw those chives sprouting up.

These are from a recipe posted on Food52, but I have often whipped up similar versions myself and I feel like if you taste them as you go, and just add more butter/salt/dairy you’re going to end up approximating delicious. But since I like you I figured I would pass along this exact recipe which is someone’s mother in law’s time-tested recipe. (When they promised to be the best they had ever tasted, I thought it was worth a try.) The big tip they offer was to make sure you add the cream cheese in first, while the potatoes are still hot, since the flavor gets distributed better. Then add the rest. (For the record, I used light dairy products. And this time I used a potato masher- the recipe calls for a hand blender so I used it last time, and I like it both ways. Hand blender makes it feel restaurant quality and the masher feels more homemade, so proceed to your liking.)

Ok, my last HUGE discovery about these is that I turned the leftovers into my favorite artichoke, leek and potato soup the next day. Mind blown. Did you know you could add mash potatoes at the end of a soup recipe? You can, and it is fantastic.

If you love mashed potatoes as much as I do, then here are a few other variations I have had recently that were swoon worthy. Just follow the sour cream & chive recipe and instead of the chives, sour cream and cream cheese add these:

1.//Lobster Mashed Potatoes with Truffle Butter or Truffle Olive Oil –

I just made these using truffle olive oil after we tried it in a restaurant and they were ridiculously good. Something about the combo of truffles and lobster just tastes like…money? Maybe. No seriously they are a match made in…Vegas? Ok I’ll stop.

2. \\ Chorizo and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

3. \\ Pancetta and Parmesean

4. \\ Carmelized Onion and Bacon

5. \\ Leek and Gruyere

6. \\Cumin, Tumeric, and Garam Masala Mashed Potatoes (or follow this recipe for a complex & authentic Indian dish)

Ok, if that doesn’t start your mouth watering I don’t know what will. Happy Eating! xoxo Katie

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes (Printer version here):

adapted from Emily C. on Food52

Serves 8

5 lb.potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks (Monica always used red potatoes)
8 oz.cream cheese, cut into large pieces (at room temperature)
1 cup sour cream (at room temperature)
4 T.butter (at room temperature)
Kosher salt + freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped chives

In a large pot, cover potatoes with cold water and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, and either return to the same pan, or place in a large bowl for combining with other ingredients.
While potatoes are still hot, start mixing in the remaining ingredients using a hand mixer with beater attachments. Add the cream cheese first (a few pieces at a time) and mix until thoroughly combined. It’s important to start with the cream cheese because it’s the ingredient that benefits the most from the hot potatoes when mixing. Next, add the sour cream, then the butter, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Continue mixing until the potatoes are smooth, creamy, and lump-free. You may want to stop a few times and clean the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl with a spatula. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
A few notes: I like to add the cream cheese, sour cream, and butter at room temperature to make the mixing easier, but Monica always used them straight from the fridge. If you want, you can start with lesser (say 3/4) amounts of the cream cheese, sour cream and butter and then tinker with the quantities to taste at the end, but 9 out of 10 times I’ve done this, I’ve ended up adding the full amounts. Trust me, these potatoes are worth the indulgence.
Mix in chives. Serve and savor every bite.

Recipe by Emily C. on Food52

New School Year Dinner

August 31, 2012

Hiya! Happy New School Year!

If you are a mom you know that brings the relief of structure, and the confines of it too. Like a well-oiled machine, our home and kitchens need to be set up to handle the daily grind that is around the corner. Maybe it is the life-long habit of new school clothes and supplies, but fall brings on the feeling of newness in every area. I love it. The past week has me organizing our mud room, our pantry, drawers and of course, closets, in anticipation of the busy early mornings and quick family dinners.

I have also found a ton of wisdom from other moms on various blogs. My new favorite site is Like Mother Like Daughter. This mom shares her lifetime of insights from feeding a family of nine. She makes biscuits out of a little left over squash, has posts like Make Dinner Every Night and Like It, and Make Menus, Really. She shined a light on the very loose meal planning I do, and suggests that families start by making a master list of meals they like, and when you meal plan, pull from that list.

I love this idea, and am going to make my families master list this weekend. I am inspired to add a few new ones to it and I hope you are too! This meal will DEFINITELY be on the list:

Pork Chops with Balsamic Honey Glaze, and Butternut Squash with Sage and Blue Cheese

I just made this last week when I found this easy recipe for butternut squash as a savory side (or a full meal if you are so inspired!). Literally, just chop and roast this gorgeous orange vegetable, add cheese and you have a silky, luxuriously rich vegetable at your table. And since it goes well with pork, I made boneless pork chops with Giada’s Agrodolche Glaze for pork chops. This glaze is heaven and is one of those flavor combinations that you keep remembering because it is so good!

For the Butternut Squash, start with these ingredients (the sage is from my herb garden!):

That’s it! So easy. In fact I got it from another food blog that titled it ‘Relaxing’. Find it here.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage and Gorgonzola
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (about 1 lb)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 leaves of sage, finely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Preheat oven to 400.
Toss butternut squash cubes with olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper. Roast squash for 20 minutes, or until tender. Sprinkle gorgonzola on top. The heat of the squash will melt gorgonzola. Serve.
While that was roasting away, I remade a version of pork chops that Giada De Laurentiis made a while back, and it is so good, I think I might make it again soon because I am hungry for it just thinking about it! I left out the red pepper flakes for my kids, but if you like a kick it is super good. This recipe is from the Food Network, and she called the glaze ‘agrodolce’, an Italian name meaning sweet and sour.

Pardon me while I geek out on you, but I was curious about this so I looked it up on Wikipedia. They write:

Agrodolce is a traditional sweet and sour sauce in Italian cuisine. Its name comes from “agro” (sour) and “dolce” (sweet). Agrodolce is made by reducing sour and sweet elements, traditionally vinegar and sugar. Sometimes, additional flavorings are added, such as wine, fruit, or evenchocolate. The sauce is thought to have been brought to Sicily by the Arabs. It can be high in fat, sodium, cholesterol and sugar, used for lamb, and served over rigatoni or wide noodles, such as pappardelle. Though the term “aigre-doux” could refer to any sweet and sour sauce in French cuisine, a gastrique is very similar to agrodolce.^[1]

If you want to find the Food Network link for easy printing you can find it here.

Pork:

1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed
4 (8-ounce) boneless pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Glaze:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, pale green and white parts only, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, at room temperature
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Pork: In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, to taste, and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes. Add the pork to the pan and cook until cooked through. for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or Remove the pork from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Glaze: In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, honey, garlic, scallions, and rosemary to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the honey has dissolved. Simmer for 9 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange the pork chops on a platter and drizzle with the glaze.

Please comment and let me know your favorites on your families master list! I am forever curious about other mainstays in the life of busy families!