Swiss Potato Gratin

Thanksgiving. Fourteen people. The food was right, the noise was magnificent, and Sophie made the cranberry sauce with the confidence of a nine-year-old (she turned nine in September, which I am behind on noting, because the editing has consumed my attention) who has now made this recipe twice and who considers it hers, permanently, and who I suspect will be making this cranberry sauce at her own Thanksgiving table in thirty years, telling her own children that Bubbe taught her, and the teaching will be the chain, and the chain will be the cranberry sauce, and the cranberry sauce will be the love.

David carved the turkey. Ethan helped — the first year Ethan has assisted with the carving, ten years old, careful with the knife, learning the cuts, learning the weight of the knife and the angle and the way the meat falls when you cut correctly. The carving is passing from grandfather (Marvin, who carved for thirty-five years) to father (David, who carved for three years) to son (Ethan, who is beginning). Three generations of turkey carvers. The knife moves forward. The chain cuts and holds simultaneously.

I brought Marvin a plate on Friday. Turkey, stuffing, Sophie's cranberry sauce. I told him about the dinner, about the fourteen people, about Sophie's cranberry sauce, about Ethan carving. He ate. He listened. The listening was the participating. The participating was the being-there even when the being-there was a room in Cedarhurst and not a table in Oceanside. The food connected them. The food always connects them. The food is the bridge.

When fourteen people sit down together and the noise is magnificent, you need a dish that doesn’t ask for attention—one that simply holds its place on the table and makes everything around it feel more complete. That’s what this Swiss Potato Gratin has always been for us: the warm, creamy anchor underneath the turkey, alongside Sophie’s cranberry sauce, anchoring the meal the way the meal anchors the family. I brought a portion of it to Marvin on Friday too, and he finished every bite, and that told me everything I needed to know.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch)
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing
2 tablespoons fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Make the cream mixture. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the heavy cream, milk, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat until just steaming—do not boil. Remove from heat.
Layer the potatoes. Arrange one-third of the potato slices in an even, slightly overlapping layer in the prepared baking dish. Pour one-third of the warm cream mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of Swiss cheese. Repeat layers two more times, ending with the remaining cream and cheese on top.
Dot with butter. Scatter the small pieces of butter evenly across the top layer.
Bake covered. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are just beginning to soften.
Bake uncovered. Remove the foil and continue baking for 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbling and a knife slides through the potatoes with no resistance.
Rest and serve. Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with chives or parsley if desired. Serve warm directly from the dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Swiss Potato Gratin — The Side Dish That Holds the Table Together