Au Gratin Peas and Potatoes

Late April and the first wave of the pandemic is at its height, though we don't know that yet — we're in the middle of it and the middle of a thing is when it's hardest to see its shape. The news is relentless. The death counts. The overwhelmed hospitals in other cities, other states. I've turned the news off during meals and after eight p.m. That's a boundary I'm holding.

I made a video on Easter this year about feeding through uncertainty — not a recipe exactly, more a meditation on why we cook when things are hard, the kitchen as the place that still makes sense. It was the video I most needed to make for myself and also, apparently, what other people needed to watch, because it has more views than anything I've posted since the lockdown started.

Easter dinner was the six of us, which is the smallest it's been in years. Gary made a small spiral ham instead of the usual feast. I made scalloped potatoes, a salad, the lemon bundt cake. We set the table with cloth napkins and the good dishes, which felt important. If you're going to eat together, eat together all the way.

Ethan found out his graduation ceremony is cancelled. The real ceremony, the gym and the caps and gowns and the hundred people watching. He took it quietly and then went to his room for a while, and then came out and helped me do the dishes, and that was its own kind of processing. I let him work alongside me without saying much because sometimes that's what the kitchen is for: being in it together without needing to talk about it.

The scalloped potatoes I made that Easter were the thing I held onto — something warm and layered and slow, the kind of dish that asks you to stand at the stove and pay attention, which is exactly what I needed. This Au Gratin Peas and Potatoes is the recipe closest to what I made that day: bubbling, golden, rich with cream and cheese, a side dish that somehow carries the whole meal on its back. When Ethan came out of his room and stood next to me at the sink, neither of us saying much, the pan was already in the oven, and the smell of it — butter, potato, something homey and certain — was the one thing in the house that felt completely uncomplicated.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/8-inch)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
2 tablespoons fresh chives or parsley, chopped (optional, for serving)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside. Slice potatoes thin and uniform — a mandoline works well here if you have one.
Make the cheese sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1–2 minutes until lightly golden and nutty-smelling. Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Finish the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the cheddar, all of the Gruyère, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until cheese is fully melted and sauce is smooth.
Layer the dish. Arrange half the potato slices in overlapping layers in the prepared baking dish. Scatter the peas evenly over the potatoes. Pour half the cheese sauce over the peas. Add the remaining potato slices in an even layer and pour the rest of the cheese sauce on top, spreading to the edges.
Top and bake. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar evenly over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling and a knife slides easily through the potatoes.
Rest and serve. Let the gratin rest 10 minutes before serving — this helps it set so it slices cleanly. Scatter chives or parsley over the top if using.

Nutrition (per serving)

Au Gratin Peas and Potatoes — The Side Dish That Made Easter Feel Like Easter