Awesome Au Gratin Potatoes

I love piling these onto green beans! SO good!  You can make this ahead of time, just save the french fried onion topper until the potatoes are in the oven and almost done so they don't get soggy.

Keep peeled potatoes in water to keep them from turning brown while you peel and slice the rest!

You can choose to just slice the onions, instead of dicing, I just dice them due to the preferences of others I cook for.
The amount of cheese, salt and pepper in this dish is up to you and your tastes too.
Also, if you like some zip to your dishes, try adding one seeded & deveined minced jalapeno to this, and pepperjack cheese instead of cheddar. Fantastic!

• 4-5 cups of peeled (your choice) and thin sliced potatoes, about 5-6 small/medium.
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1 can cream of celery soup (undiluted)
• 2-3 cups cheddar cheese, grated. Try not to get the pre-grated, not only do you get LESS cheese (they add cornstarch and such so the cheese doesn't stick together, and since it's sold by weight- you get less), but grating your own results in much creamier texture.
• fresh grated parmesan cheese, maybe 1/2 cup
• small (2.8 oz) can french fried onions
• dried rosemary
• dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• butter or margarine
• dried or fresh parsley for garnish

Spray a 2.5 quart round casserole dish with spray oil.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onion and undiluted soup.Try to separate as many of the slices as possible, when mixing, so they all get coated and they cook better.
Sprinkle with couple good pinches of salt and pepper.
Take a good pinch of rosemary, maybe about 1/8 teaspoon, and rub it between your fingertips, crushing so not have big twigs of rosemary and to get the flavor out. Do the same for the thyme.

Put a layer of potato mixture in the bottom of casserole dish, about 5 pea-sized dots of butter or margarine, sprinkle a handful of cheddar cheese, and grate some parmesan cheese down over it; maybe a tablespoon or two.
Repeat twice, for a total of 3 layers, ending the top layer with cheese and parmesan.
Cover and cook at 350 degrees for about 1.5-2 hours, depending on how soft you want your potatoes. Test with fork in the center.
When the potatoes are your desired doneness, uncover and add the French's onions, more pepper and parsley. 

Cook uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Be careful because the onions can burn fast.

Serve over green beans! YUMM!


If you wish, you can instead, top the potatoes with a mixture of breadcrumbs, butter and parmesan.

Cheesy Potato Skillet

I'm drooling thinking of this recipe.
There's something I love about the cream of mushroom soup and ground beef combo. Much to my son's delight, I forgot the fresh mushrooms, but about 1-2 cups of fresh mushrooms added when you add the onions, would push this yummy dish over the top. Still, without it, it was pretty darned good. If you have a big enough skillet, add about 1/2 cup more green beans too. That was the only complaint here, more green beans, please! :)

I also used the "35% more" can of Cream of Mushrooms (Campbell's). If you can't find that (I find mine at my local Dollar General), try a regular sized can and about 1/3 cup more of Cream Mushroom soup.


But enough chit-chat, on to the recipe!

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3 cups peeled and thin sliced potatoes (about 4 regular-sized potatoes)
• 1 can drained cut green beans
• 1 (14.75 oz) "35% more" cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup shredded, good quality Monterrey & Colby Jack cheese
• 1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (total, maybe)
• 1/2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
• kosher salt
• pepper
• garlic powder

Over a medium-high preheated LARGE cast iron skillet, toss in your beef, put about 1 tablespoon of canola oil in the pan first if it's dry or your meat is lean.
Give a liberal sprinkle of kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder.
When the meat is getting a good brown, stir, and toss in the onions. Give the onions a small sprinkle of salt and pepper too, and a slight dusting of dried oregano.
 

When the beef is almost done, and the onions are softening, add the potatoes.
You don't want them too thin, but just a step above paper thin, so they don't take all day to cook.

Be sure to give the potatoes a liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper, and a slight dusting of dried oregano. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes.
Push potatoes and meat mixture toward the sides of the pan a little, sort of like you might be making a pie crust with the mixture..

See how some of the potatoes are sort of standing up around the edges? You want the middle of the pan to be lower than the ousides a little.
Add the drained green beans, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, spread the beans out a bit,
Add the mushroom soup (UNconstituted) and spread gently with a spatula, over the beans and potato mixture.
Add the sour cream and worchestershire, then gently mix around without disturbing the potato, meat and green beans too much.
Stick into a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until hot and potatoes are fork tender, but not mush.
Top with cheese!

My tummy is beginning to rumble (when is it not?!)
Put back into the oven about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and hot.

OH MY GOODNESS!  Sprinkle with a little pepper to make it pretty. :)
Let stand for 10-15 minutes (if you can! lol) and dig in!!
Some may like to sprinkle hot sauce on it!