Prep time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

4-5 pounds redskin, or new potatoes sliced ¼ inch thick

4-5 cups béchamel sauce

½ cup butter

½ cup unbleached flour

5-6 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons pepper

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 ½ cup of shredded cheese

Directions:

Slice the potatoes into ¼ inch pieces and place the in a pot of boiling salted water- cook for 4 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

For the béchamel:

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low temperature until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 4 to 5 minutes. This particular mixture is called a roux.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter/flour mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a soft boil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly- remove the sauce from the heat- season with salt, pepper and nutmeg- set-aside until ready to use.

At this point, add 1 cup of grated cheese to the béchamel. You can use anything here- fontina, sharp cheddar, Brie, goat, jack, and Gouda, are just a few examples.

Once the cheese is placed in the warm béchamel sauce, let it sit for a few minutes so it can become soft. Whisk the mixture until the cheese is fully incorporated.

Place a ladle of sauce in the bottom of a greased ovenproof casserole dish. Add a layer of potatoes; cover with another ladle of the béchamel-cheese sauce. Continue this procedure until all of the potatoes, and most of the sauce has been used. Top with the remaining sauce- don’t over-fill or you will make a mess in your oven!

Top the potatoes with the ½ cup of remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degree for 45 minutes, or until the top becomes golden brown, and an inserted knife easily permeates the potatoes without resistance.