Ingredients
The following ingredients have 4 Servings
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion (sliced thinly)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
- 7 oz (200g) cooked ham (cubed)
- 4 red-skinned potatoes* (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 1/3 cups (560ml) full fat milk
- 3/4 cup (180ml) double (heavy) heavy cream
- 1 1/2 packed cups (150g) grated mature cheddar cheese
- 1/2 packed cup (50g) grated Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 packed cup (50g) grated Red Leicester cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Instruction
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease a large casserole dish.
- Heat the butter in a frying pan (skillet) on a medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper and ¼ tsp garlic salt. Fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring often until the onions soften. Turn off the heat.
- Now make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the milk, a splash at a time, whilst stirring with the whisk until incorporated, and no lumps remain.
- Add the cream and three quarters of the cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
- Arrange half of the potatoes in the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with half the onion mixture and half of the cubed ham. Sprinkle over ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
- Pour over half the sauce.
- Repeat the layers with the potato, onion, ham, salt, pepper and the remaining sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese, the Gruyere and red Leicester over the top.
- Cover the dish with foil and place in the oven for 75-90 minutes - until the potatoes are tender (you can check by pushing a knife through them, They should cut through potatoes easily).
- Remove the foil and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then serve topped with a sprinkling of fresh thyme.
