Is it time for new years resolutions yet? Not quite! I’ve still got a few hours to live it up and indulge in some decadent dishes. (although if you subscribe to my feed, you’re probably getting this bright and early on Jan 1st… but I’m okay with it! It’s also really good for a hangover – all those potatoes will help you get back into a semi coherent place 🙂
I’ve made plenty gratins before. I’ve used regular russet potatoes, I’ve used russet and sweet potatoes and I’ve mixed up the cheese to make things extra fancy and fun. But I’ve never made one with pesto, goat cheese and kefir before and it was decadent to say the least. Decadent as in super delicious, not crazy heavy as you might think. It won over everyone that was here for dinner 2 nights ago and it’s for sure going to have to be made again!
It also worked out perfectly because I had 2 partially used bottles of GVO Kefir sitting in the fridge. Does that ever happen to you? I always grab a bottle when I’m at the market and then all of a sudden I end up having a few 1/2 used bottles on hand and then I need to use it all up. Well problem solved on my end… mix some of the GVO kefir with some heavy cream and you get a little bit tart liquid that you can use for the gratin. Genius.
Pesto and Goat Cheese Gratin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and sliced into thin slices
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup store bought of freshly made basil pesto
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup crumbled Redwood Hill fresh cherve
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese
- 1 cup Green Valley Organic plain kefir
- 1/2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Place a layer of potatoes in an overlapping pattern and season with salt, pepper, 1/3 of the pesto, 1/3 of the chopped garlic and 1/3 of the fresh thyme and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat this until you have at least 3 layers of potatoes.
- Sprinkle the top with a little more salt and pepper sprinkle the Gruyere cheese on top.
- Pour the kefir and heavy cream on top of the potatoes. The liquid should reach come up to the bottom part of the top layer.
- Bake, covered with a piece of foil, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 30 minutes more until the top is golden brown and then potatoes are fully cooked. Serve immediately.
I am dairy free, glulten free. So could I do all goat cheese you think? Could I do coconut milk instead of the cream and the kefir? Most store bought pesto has walnuts or pine nuts in it. So might have to try and make a small amt myself as I have a sensativity to those too. But it sounds so good.
Oh wait instructions say parmesean cheese (that comes in sheep milk variety) so I could do that instead of gruyere.
Hi Marianne!
You could do all goat cheese for sure – and yes I think coconut and kefir would great okay too. And yes, I’d make a small amount of pesto to be on the safe side so you can avoid the nuts.
Happy cooking!
Heck yes! Looove this recipe!
This looks absolutely impressive. I love the addition of goat cheese instead of cow’s milk cheese. That should work for my allergies. Thanks for sharing!
Also how many would this serve?
It serves 8!
Pesto in anything! Love, love, love!
What size dish do you use?
good question! thanks Susan – I’ll add it to the directions right now- but it was a 10 inch quiche dish….
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/quiche-dish/s283684
Thanks!!
Oh my goodness does this look divine! I wonder if I could use my Italian Dinner Starter in place of the pesto?!
What is Italian Dinner Starter? I will wing it on the size of dish as I don’t have a 10 in quiche pan.
I love the idea of using kefir! One of my goals this year is to start making it homemade. Although I can’t imagine ever having half-empty bottles sitting in my fridge. They just don’t last that long 🙂
Happy New Year!
Looks so good, Gaby! I love anything with goat cheese!