Potatoes Au Gratin with Fennel and Bacon

22 Reviews

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 1 hr 50 min
Ready In: 2 hr 30 min

“Delectable creamy Au Gratin Potatoes are enhanced with subtle flavors of fennel and bacon. Caution: this recipe will make people break your door down for some more. I never measure unless baking, always use eyeball judgement, so feel free to adjust to your personal feel and taste. To create a more crispy top, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs over the top when there is about 15 minutes left to cook. ” - by TX_Brad

Adjust Servings

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Metric US

Original recipe yields 8 servings

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Fry bacon in a large skillet until browned. Drain on paper towels. Chop or crumble, and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and starting to bubble. Gradually whisk in milk while stirring constantly so that no lumps form. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with white pepper, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until smooth, adding a handful at a time. Set aside.
Use 1/3 of the potatoes to make a layer in the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with 1/3 of the fennel, 1/3 of the bacon and 1/3 of the basil. Pour about 1/3 of the cheese sauce over everything. Repeat layers two more times or until you run out of room. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cover during the last 30 minutes to allow the top to brown if desired.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (8 total)

Calories
497 cal
25%

Fat
30.5 g
47%

Carbs
34 g
11%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Reviews (22)

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JV

Aug. 29, 2008

"I have made this twice now and it has turned out EXCELLENT both times. I started to use it as a base recipe, but have ended up following it pretty much to a T, except for the fennel since I generally ..." See moredont have it on hand. I also include about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of diced onion (eyeballed), sprinkling it on during the layering process. I definitely have to agree with a previous reviewer in that prep time is AT LEAST an hour, even with using a food processor for slicing the taters. Still, it is tasty, and now my go to recipe for gratin. Yummy goodness! :)"

lisa j

Aug. 4, 2008

"The prep took me over an hour. Par boil the potatoes to lessen cooking time. I cooked it for an hour and a half as directed, and the potatoes still weren't cooked. It took so long to make, I almost di..." See moredn't care how it tasted. And there are too many ingredients for me. Potatoes, cheese and bacon pretty much does it for this kind of dish."

brownstreetmama

Jul. 25, 2008

"Wow, this was so good I am craving more as I write this review. Every single person in my family, toddlers included, ate this so fast that we barely came up for air! Normally my husband does not like..." See more fennel, so thanks for a recipe that makes us both happy!"

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