Gratin Greatness

My father likes to joke that a meal with my mom's family is never complete without at least four starches on the table. He's kinda right....between the challah, some sort of matzah ball/kreplach in the soup, rice (usually to go with meatballs), a potato dish of some sort, and maybe even a pasta salad or noodle dish, we pretty much have the starch food group covered.

I love carbs.....might even consider myself an addict. Give me a box of pasta and I'm a happy girl. I'm totally trying to curb this starch love of mine, but once in a while, you just need a good bowl of mac-and-cheese. Or creamy risotto (which I've been making from scratch for 2 weeks now....yum!). Or anything with bread. Dr. Atkins and I would have never gotten along. But what can I say? For me, comfort food = starch. Starch = comfort food. I think there's a mathematical property that that follows.

Last week was one of those weeks when I just needed something creamy and carb-y. When my friend invited me for Shabbos lunch and asked for a side dish, I had potatoes on the brain. This particular friend happens to make a great Potato Gratin, but his is a milchig dish. So, I decided to make a pareve version to bring to his house for my contribution. And what can I say? Carbs haven't failed me yet!

(Cook's note: I decided to make this dish with pareve chicken soup in a carton because I thought that there would be vegetarians at this meal - it's actually called "No-Chicken Soup" from the Imagine soup brand. But if you're only serving carnivores, go ahead and use real chicken broth. I also didn't peel the potatoes out of sheer laziness....full discretion here, friends. Also, I had a lot of time when I got home from work, so I actually slow-cooked the onions on a very low heat for an hour till they were golden and caramelized - I just stirred them every 5-10 minutes. But if you're more pressed for time, just cook them over medium or medium-high heat, but be sure to watch them carefully.)

Potato and Caramelized Onion Gratin

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 stick of margarine, divided
1/4 cup flour
2 cups pareve chicken broth
2 cups pareve coffee creamer
1 spring rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
salt
pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
3 1/2 lbs. of yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup flavored breadcrumbs

1. In a large pan, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onions and cook for 1 hour, or until caramelized, stirring every 5-10 minutes. (See Cook's Note above for alternative method)
2. In a small pot, melt 1/2 stick (4 tbsp.) of margarine over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and creamer and bring mixture to a simmer.
3. Add the rosemary and thyme and continue to simmer for 15 minutes, until mixture thickens slightly. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
4. In a greased 9x13 inch baking dish, layer 1/3 of the potatoes in a flat, even layer. Spread half of the caramelized onions on top. Add another 1/3 of the potatoes, followed by the remaining onions. Top with a flat layer of the remaining potatoes.
5. Remove the thyme and rosemary sprigs from the chicken stock/creamer mixture. Ladle it over the potatoes, pressing down to make sure it reaches all the way to the bottom. (Allow it to sit for 5 minutes to make sure it gets to the bottom, if possible. It will look soup-y; this is a good thing. The potatoes will absorb most of the liquid.)
6. In a small bowl, melt the remaining 1/2 stick of margarine. Toss the bread crumbs with the margarine and sprinkle liberally over the potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the dish is bubbling.