Au Gratin Potatoes

We use flour-thickened low-fat milk combined with a modest amount of tangy sharp Cheddar to make a creamy cheese sauce for our healthy spin on au gratin potatoes. They're topped with additional cheese and some breadcrumbs, then baked until golden brown and bubbling; you'll find it hard to believe that these tasty potatoes have only a third of the fat of the original.

8 servings, 1 cup each

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Nutrition Profile

Low cholesterol | High calcium | High fiber | High potassium | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

3 pounds red potatoes
1 small onion, halved
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 cups low-fat milk, divided
1 1/3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, until barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, cool and slip off skins.
Coarsely shred the potatoes in a food processor or with the large-holed side of a box grater.
Place onion, garlic, flour, salt, dry mustard, cayenne and black pepper in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add 1/2 cup milk and process until smooth. Scrape into a medium saucepan and add the remaining 2 1/2 cups milk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup Cheddar until melted.
Combine the potatoes and the cheese sauce. Transfer to the prepared pan. Combine the remaining 1/3 cup cheese, breadcrumbs and oil in a small bowl and mix with your fingers. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the potato mixture.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 20 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5; cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Nutrition

Per serving: 292 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 1 g mono); 26 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrates; 13 g protein; 4 g fiber; 665 mg sodium; 808 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (28% daily value), Vitamin C (27% dv), Potassium (23% dv).

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 milk (1%), 1/2 high-fat meat