Ing 4 tbl butter 1/4 c flour 2 1/3 c milk 2 c grated cheese 2 1/2 lb starchy potatoes, peeled, thin-slice
Preheat oven to 350 deg. Grease a square baking dish. Melt butter in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook/stir 2 min til bubbly. Remove from heat. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until well combined. Return to heat. Cook/stir to the boil. Add 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Stir/combine. Arrange 1/3 potatoes, overlapping slightly, in baking dish. S/p. Spoon 1/3 cheese sauce over. Repeat twice. Sprinkle w/ 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake 1 hour til potatoes are tender and top is golden. If top begins to brown too much, cover with foil.
Notes: A potato bake can be as humble or as grand as you desire. Bacon, onion, leek or fennel can be added. You can swap half the milk for thickened cream and add herbs such as rosemary or fresh thyme. A quick tip: cut a garlic clove in half and run the cut sides over the baking dish before layering the bake. This imparts a subtle garlicky taste. If you want to go all out, try the queen of all potato bakes, tartiflette, which is served in France as a main with a crisp green salad. Some recipes call for sour cream, but you won't need to add any extra cream (allow shredded cheese to bring flavor and a golden brown top). It really is an absolutely delicious side. You can freeze potato bake, with its creamy sauce, for up to three months.