Pumpkin Escalloped Potatoes

I like to push the boundaries from time to time.  I had some leftover cooked pumpkin and so I decided to do something savoury with it instead of something sweet.  Lord knows I don't need any more sugar in my life!  This savoury potato dish turned out really lovely.

Layers of thinly sliced sweet potatoes and white potatoes, baked in a lucious cream and pumpkin sauce . . . a sauce that is so easy to make even a child could do it.   You simply heat the cream and pumpkin together with a bit of garlic and some seasoning.

You just pour the sauce between the layers as you are creating them.  I like to alternate the potato slices for looks.   You also sprinkle a mix of cheeses between the layers . . .

 

It's so very simple and so very delicious.  People will think you have slaved all day, but it takes merely minutes to put it together.   I like recipes like that.  Very little effort, but mega results!  It's win/win all round!  It would make an excellent side dish for the holidays!

*Pumpkin Escalloped Potatoes*

Serves 8

Printable Recipe  

A deliciously different potato dish.   Goes well with any types of roasted or grilled meats.

375ml of double cream (1 1/2 cups)

90g of pumpkin puree (1/2 cup)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 cloves of garlic peeled and bashed

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices

2 ounces grated Emmenthal cheese

2 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese

3 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Butter a 2 litre gratin dish.   Set aside.

Mix all the cheeses together.  Set aside.

Whisk the cream, pumpkin puree, garlic, nutmeg and some seasoning together in a saucepan.   Heat gently to warm.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes to infuse.   Remove and discard the garlic.

Begin to layer the potatoes in the prepared dish, overlapping slightly and alternating the two different kinds, and using about 1/3 of the potatoes.   Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with 1/3 of the cream mixture. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat the layers ending with the sauce and reserving the last third of the cheese for later on.

Bake the potatoes, uncovered, in the heated oven for about 50 minutes.  Sprinkle the remaining third of the cheese over top and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender and the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.   Serve hot.

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