Green Chile and Roasted Garlic Potato Gratin

January and February are months of birthdays at our house – we’ve got four, one after the other. That means we’ve got several times when the birthday girl or boy gets to choose what is for dinner, whether that is going out or staying in. It’s my highest honor when someone asks to stay in and they give me a menu to cook.

This week the dinner requested was roast chicken, asparagus, and potato gratin, plus this cake, which I must say gets better and better. If only I kept detailed notes on the edits from year to year.

The potato gratin requested was Ina Garten’s Potato-Fennel Gratin, which I wrote about here. We love that recipe, but our store’s fennel didn’t look great, so I came up with a new version which adds roasted garlic and green chiles, along with subbing half of the gruyere with Monterey jack, and adding a sprinkle of parmesan. Out of circumstance came a new favorite. I hope you like our new Green Chile and Roasted Garlic Potato Gratin as much as our crew did.

Green Chile and Roasted Garlic Potato Gratin is a satisfying side dish that'll please a crowd. (Photo: Andria Dilling)

Green Chile and Roasted Garlic Potato Gratin

1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ cups heavy cream
Cloves from 1 head roasted garlic, chopped, recipe follows
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
2 pounds russet potatoes
¾ cups shredded gruyere 
¾ cups shredded Monterey jack 
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup grated parmesan 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart (approximate) baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream, garlic, and chiles. Set aside.

Peel the potatoes, then slice them thinly either with a sharp knife or a mandoline. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and mix with the cream, ½ cup of the gruyere, ½ cup of the Monterrey jack, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper.

Pour the potatoes and cream into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup gruyere, ¼ cup Monterey jack, and the parmesan over the top. Bake for 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow the potatoes to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Garlic
1 medium head garlic
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the outer, papery skin of the garlic, leaving the head intact. Use a sharp knife to trim about ½ inch off the pointy tip of the garlic, exposing the tops of the cloves. Place the entire head on a piece of foil. Drizzle the olive oil over and wrap loosely, sealing the edges of the foil. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes. Let the garlic cool in the foil, then unwrap and squeeze the cloves out from the root end.