Thanksgiving Recipes (1 of 4)

This is of course the month devoted to Thanksgiving, that all-American holiday where we all eat too much, watch football and parades, and oh yeah, give thanks for what we have. This year, the Brave Astronaut clan is eschewing the family get-together and likely escaping to the beach. Yes, I know, it's not exactly beach weather (we are just going to the Delaware/Ocean City area), but there will be something charming about Thanksgiving Dinner at the beach. Won't there?

Here on Recipe Mondays for the month of November, I will post four recipes for Thanksgiving dishes that, if you like, you can add to your repertoire for you Turkey Day Feast. Enjoy.

A beach Thanksgiving may mean shaking up the usual suspects for dinner. That, coupled with the fact there are only four of us, may mean no [big] turkey (turkey hoagies on the beach perhaps?). But to start us off, here's a recipe (from BHG.com) for a potato gratin, which sounds pretty good. And there at the end is an option for those of you who prefer sweet potatoes on their Turkey Table.

Cheesy Garlic Potato Gratin
Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 1-1/2 hours
Stand: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 medium Yukon gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes (1-1/2 pounds), thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
• 1/3 cup sliced green onion (3) or thinly sliced leek
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese,Gruyere, provolone, or Jarslberg cheese (6 ounces)
• 1 cup whipping cream
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart square baking dish. Layer half of the sliced potatoes and half of the green onion in prepared dish. Sprinkle with half of the garlic, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers. Pour whipping cream over top.
2. Bake, covered, in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Uncover; bake for 20 to 30 minutes more or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and top is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.
   

Cheesy Garlic Sweet Potato Gratin: Prepare as above, except substitute sweet potatoes for half of the Yukon gold potatoes.