There were two pounds of leftover cooked potatoes in my fridge. Every few months, I set aside a day to develop new recipes and yesterday’s work on a potato salad left me with extra. What to do with 2 pounds of leftover cooked potatoes in June? Think ‘dairy’ and use fat-free milk and cheese to make potato au gratin!
June is dairy month. Most of us only get 2 of the 3 servings of dairy that are recommended daily. Unfortunately, this causes us to miss out on milk’s powerful nutrient package of calcium and eight other essential nutrients which nourishes our body and promotes bone health. Check out ‘30 days of dairy‘, a tip sheet developed by the National Dairy Council with great ideas for adding that extra serving in your family’s diet. You can also try some Myplate2yours dairy favorites like Chocolate Monkey Smoothies, Barley & Apple Breakfast Bake, and Cheddar Chicken and Potato Packets. Here’s the new favorite- Potato au Gratin with Sun Dried Tomato- adapted from Cooking Light 2000. Happy Dairy Month!
Potato au Gratin with Sun Dried Tomato (serves 6)
2 pounds cooked* red or Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled and cut into slices
2 ounces sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chop coarsely
1 tablespoon Earth Balance spread or butter
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon each- salt and pepper
3 tablespoons flour (easy to make gluten free, just use brown rice flour instead)
2 cups skim milk
1-1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer potatoes on bottom of dish. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add onion and cook until tender (about 3 minutes). Add sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over pan and while stirring continuously, cook for one minute. Slowly add milk and stir or whisk until blended and mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add cheese, stir to combine melted cheese. Pour sauce over potatoes. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until golden. Enjoy!
*To cook potatoes, place in pot with boiling water and cook until tender 20-30 minutes.
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