Creamy Potato Gratin

I developed this recipe after binge watching cooking shows during the COVID pandemic.  One show demonstrated how to make a beef tenderloin roast which got me craving Sunday dinner. This is an amazing side dish and not hard to do. It’s replaced mashed potatoes at my house. This recipe serves 12  but the photo here shows a half recipe. 

Ingredients

•  6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic grated in a microplane
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 
• 3 cups light cream
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Topping

• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
• 1 cup finely crushed Ritz crackers
• 4  tablespoons melted butter

• Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees and place the oven rack in the middle section. 
• In a bowl, mix 1 cup of cracker crumbs, 2 ounces of parmesan cheese (grated), and 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (melted) 
• In a large saucepan, combine 2½ cups of cream,  salt, pepper,  nutmeg,  garlic and baking soda. Add 2 ½ pounds of Russet potatoes and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Turn the heat down to low and let the potatoes simmer, stirring regularly. You will know the potatoes are done when you can slide a paring knife easily into them without them crumbling. This will take around 20-25 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and add the remaining ½ cream and 6 tablespoons of butter into the potatoes. Stir for one minute or until the butter has melted into the potatoes.
• Transfer the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Top the potatoes with the prepared cracker parmesan mixture.

• Bake the dish uncovered for 30 minutes or until the potatoes bubble around the edges. The top should be golden brown at this point.
• Allow the potatoes to cool for 15 minutes, then serve.