OhioTom76
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I've made these in the past with varying degrees of success - but for some reason these last several times I've made it they came out great. I'm thinking maybe it's because I used russet potatoes, and perhaps my ratio of butter and flour to milk for the bechamel sauce was better. Who knows, but here goes.
In a small sauce pan prepare a bechamel sauce by heating two tablespoons of butter with two tablespoons of flour, and 1/2 tsp of garlic pepper seasoning (Spice Supreme brand is what I prefer). Once the butter is foaming and it's all mixed together well into a paste, whisk in about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cup of *cold* 2% milk (or whole milk), and keep whisking/stirring over a medium heat until it thickens up. I usually start with a spatula so the butter/flour paste doesn't get stuck to the edges of the pan, then use a whisk to finish mixing it all together. It may seem too watery at first, but it will thicken up. You don't want it to be too thick though like pudding, since it's going to be baking in the oven and will thicken up further. You should be able to ladle it out of the pan, which you'll be doing in a moment.
Peel 2-3 larger size russet potatoes, then slice 1/8" thick on a mandolin slicer (important, don't make thick uneven cuts with a knife).
In an 8 or 9 inch baking dish, spray it with some cooking spray, then start creating a layer of the potato. You can overlap the slices somewhat. We want to make about 3 layers of potato total, so keep that in mind when looking at how much potato you have left. (If you cut up too much, just preserve the rest in some water in the fridge and fry them up for breakfast). Sprinkle a little garlic pepper seasoning on the potato (don't overdo it!) and ladle a third of the bechamel sauce over them and spread evenly, then top with some shredded sharp cheddar and some romano cheese. Keep building these layers, until you have enough sauce and cheese left to top the whole thing off.
Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven covered with foil, for about 45 min, check to make sure the potatoes are almost knife tender, then bake another 20 min or so uncovered. If it hasn't browned nicely on the top yet, throw it under the broiler a bit.
In a small sauce pan prepare a bechamel sauce by heating two tablespoons of butter with two tablespoons of flour, and 1/2 tsp of garlic pepper seasoning (Spice Supreme brand is what I prefer). Once the butter is foaming and it's all mixed together well into a paste, whisk in about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cup of *cold* 2% milk (or whole milk), and keep whisking/stirring over a medium heat until it thickens up. I usually start with a spatula so the butter/flour paste doesn't get stuck to the edges of the pan, then use a whisk to finish mixing it all together. It may seem too watery at first, but it will thicken up. You don't want it to be too thick though like pudding, since it's going to be baking in the oven and will thicken up further. You should be able to ladle it out of the pan, which you'll be doing in a moment.
Peel 2-3 larger size russet potatoes, then slice 1/8" thick on a mandolin slicer (important, don't make thick uneven cuts with a knife).
In an 8 or 9 inch baking dish, spray it with some cooking spray, then start creating a layer of the potato. You can overlap the slices somewhat. We want to make about 3 layers of potato total, so keep that in mind when looking at how much potato you have left. (If you cut up too much, just preserve the rest in some water in the fridge and fry them up for breakfast). Sprinkle a little garlic pepper seasoning on the potato (don't overdo it!) and ladle a third of the bechamel sauce over them and spread evenly, then top with some shredded sharp cheddar and some romano cheese. Keep building these layers, until you have enough sauce and cheese left to top the whole thing off.
Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven covered with foil, for about 45 min, check to make sure the potatoes are almost knife tender, then bake another 20 min or so uncovered. If it hasn't browned nicely on the top yet, throw it under the broiler a bit.
