Need to bring potatoes to a gathering? You have just found your new, go to dish for “fancy” potatoes. I usually reserve making them for the holidays, bringing to a gathering or a very special dinner because they are a bit decadent. Irresistibly delicious and always a big hit, but definitely rich.
This is an adaption from a recipe I found in the Boston Globe (hence the name), over thirty years ago! I have tweaked it a bit over the years, using different cheeses, swapping half and half for the original light cream and always had great luck. Give it a try, use your favorite cheese; use light cream, half and half or milk, but whichever you choose, I promise you will not be disappointed.
INGREDIENTS
5 lbs. potatoes, yukon gold or russet (see notes below)
8 Tbs. butter, divided
6 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. dry mustard
3 cups light cream or half & half
1 cup grated, extra sharp cheddar (see notes below)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350º
Peel potatoes and boil until almost tender. Drain, cut into bite-sized pieces and put in a greased casserole dish.
While the potatoes are cooking, melt 6 Tbs.of the butter in a sauce pan on medium heat, add the flour, mustard, salt & pepper, stir and cook for a minute or two, until slightly browned. You’re just cooking the raw taste out of the flour here. Then, slowly add the 3 cups of half and half, cook, stirring frequently until the sauce starts to thicken. Pour over the potatoes, then sprinkle the cheese on top of that.
Finally, melt the remaining 2 Tbs. of butter, pour over the bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the potatoes and bake in a preheated 350º oven for about 20-30 minutes or until it is bubbly and browned.
NOTES
Although you can use russet or yukon gold potatoes, I think the yukon golds hold up a bit better. They are definitely my new favorite, as they keep there shape better, even if overcooked a bit. The russets, when overcooked a bit, can breakdown and tend to get a bit mushy. They still taste delicious, they’re just not as firm. Regarding the grated cheese, I highly recommend getting a block of cheese and grating it, rather than buying the bag of grated. The pre-grated versions have additives to lengthen the shelf life and it doesn’t melt as well.
