Mushroom-Gruyère Scalloped Potatoes

Election week. Hartford in November has that grey, wet quality that is not quite winter and not quite fall but that is already starting to want gloves. I voted on Tuesday morning before work — Eduardo and I always vote together, we walk to the elementary school on Prospect Avenue where the polling station is, and we fill out our ballots, and we walk home — and then I went to the hospital and served breakfast to 800 people.

On Wednesday the weather turned actually cold — thirty-eight degrees at 7 AM — and I made habichuelas guisadas. The beans are always the answer when it is cold. Pink beans, ham hock, sofrito, a chunk of calabaza, a splash of vinegar, simmered two hours. This is the second time I have made them in three months. I will make them twenty more times before April. The beans are the spine of the cold months.

Mami came Wednesday. She was quiet. She ate a bowl of beans over rice and she said, "What month is it?" I said, "November, Mami." She said, "Already?" I said, "Yes, Mami, thirty-five days to Christmas." She said, "I need to write Christmas cards." This is a Luz María thing — she has sent Christmas cards every year since 1955, to a list of friends and family that has slowly shrunk as people die, but the tradition continues. Last year I wrote the cards for her at her direction. I will do the same this year.

Thursday night Eduardo and I watched election returns on the television. There is always something to complain about on election night and we complained about it. The particular outcome of the particular Tuesday is not the point of this blog post, mi amor. The point is: we voted. We have voted every election since 1988. Eduardo was naturalized in 1991 — he came to the mainland on his own paperwork, then went through the full citizenship process — and I registered to vote the same week. Puerto Ricans born on the island are already U.S. citizens; we can vote in federal elections only when we move to the mainland, which is a civic oddity I have pondered for three decades. We vote because we can. We vote because someone had to fight for it somewhere. We vote because the beans are on the stove and the kitchen is warm and the neighborhood still has a polling place and that is a privilege.

Friday I made a pot roast, because sometimes you want beef that is not Puerto Rican, and my pot roast is — I will say it — excellent. Onion, garlic, red wine, mushrooms, potatoes. Eduardo said, "You are making pot roast in November?" I said, "Yes, Eduardo." He said, "Will you write about it on the blog?" I said, "I will mention it." I just mentioned it. Wepa.

I told Eduardo I would mention the pot roast, and I did — but what carried that Friday dinner was honestly the potatoes. When the week has been as heavy as this one was, full of weather and returns and Mami asking what month it is, you want something that takes a little time in the oven and fills the kitchen with something warm and serious. These Mushroom-Gruyère Scalloped Potatoes were exactly that — layered, unhurried, the kind of dish that makes the house smell like it is being taken care of. Eduardo had two helpings and did not complain about anything for at least forty minutes, which is its own kind of victory.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 10 min | Total Time: 1 hr 35 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
10 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Cook the mushrooms. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer and cook without stirring for 3–4 minutes until browned. Stir, add the onion and garlic, and cook another 3 minutes until softened and any liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Make the cream sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in thyme, nutmeg, 1 cup of the Gruyère, salt, and pepper until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Layer the potatoes. Arrange half of the potato slices in an even layer in the prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly. Spread all of the mushroom mixture evenly over the potatoes. Pour half the cream sauce over the mushrooms. Layer the remaining potatoes on top, then pour over the rest of the sauce, spreading to cover.
Top and bake. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Gruyère evenly over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover and finish. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20–25 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling and the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
Rest before serving. Let the dish rest 10 minutes before serving so the layers set and are easier to portion.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mushroom-Gruyère Scalloped Potatoes — The Friday Night Side That Eduardo Almost Didn’t Get to Eat