Rich & Cheesy Potato Recipe

Brian and I continue to discover innovative recipe uses for our JAVA Spice. The following recipe is a fan favorite, so it's being published again - in time for Easter!  If you are on a low-carb or lowfat diet, you may want to skip over this recipe.  It will just make you hungry.

I initially made this for a brunch menu and served it with eggs and smoked sausage. Then later, served the potatoes with a grilled rib-eye and was again in love! The JAVA Spice adds a nice richness to the potatoes and the creaminess and cheese is unbelievable. It's very difficult to stop yourself from going back for seconds...again and again and again....I would not hesitate to serve them with a pork loin, roasted ham, rich steak or again with eggs. They are divine!

I was fortunate to have an espresso rubbed cheese from Beehive, which I used and strongly recommend. However, if you cannot find an espresso rubbed cheese, substitute a soft creamy cheese like Fontina and if you do substitute, perhaps add 1/4 tsp more JAVA Spice to the recipe. The spice is quite aromatic and flavorful, so a little will go a long way. And now, the recipe.

POTATOES ~ cheesy, creamy spiced gratin!

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups *Fontina Cheese, Grated  (substitute with espresso rubbed cheese if you can get it)
Pinch Freshly ground pepper
3 T Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Chicken Broth
½ tsp JAVA & Co.’s JAVA Spice
*(if you do use Fontina vs. espresso cheese, you may want to add an extra 1/4 tsp of spice)

Serve for brunch or with roasted ham, pork loins or rib eyes – delicious! This is a wonderfully rich and versatile potato dish! Be sure to read through the directions before beginning and plan ahead. The baking and resting time is approx. 2 hrs.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow 2 quart baking dish. In dish spread a layer of the potato slices, overlapping them.

2. In small bowl, combine cheese, pepper and JAVA Spice.

3. Sprinkle some of the cheese over the layer of the potato slices and continue to alternate remaining potato slices in layers with the cheese mixture, making sure you reserve enough cheese and set aside cheese for the top and final layer.

4. In separate bowl, whisk flour, salt and cream; then add broth. Pour mixture over potato layer and then top with reserved cheese mixture.

5. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake one hour. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and thickened and potatoes are tender. Let stand minimum of 25 minutes before serving.

Be sure to visit our website and follow the links for additional recipe ideas for both our JAVA Spice and our JAVA Syrups!

Enjoy!

Jamie Knoll
Owner / Co-founder