Easy Cheesy Potatoes Recipe

I used to make my cheesy potatoes using boxed potatoes (can you say, chemical preservatives?), Ritz crackers (trans fats) and get this:  Velveeta cheese!  If you still cook with those things, don’t feel bad, you just didn’t know, like I didn’t used to know.  But now that we know better, we can cook better.  🙂

If you need a make-ahead (or not) cheesy potatoes recipe, you'll love this one that is simple and delicious.  Yes, these Cheesy Potatoes are pretty carb-heavy if you have blood sugar issues, but remember, the healthy fats in the recipe help to lower their glycemic index!  Read more about that here:  How to Eat Carbs Safely and Lower the Glycemic Index of the Foods You Love.

Easy Cheesy Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

• About 8-10 organic medium potatoes — organic because potatoes are a highly-sprayed crop
• 1/2 to 1 onion, chopped, or however much you like — you could also substitute 3-5 chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup pastured butter
• 3/4 cup flour – Einkorn flour is my favorite lately — read why here
• 1  1/2 cup cream (NOT ultra-pasteurized) — you could substitute 8-12 ounces of cream cheese
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or whatever is your favorite
• Sea salt and pepper to your taste
• Another 1/2 cup of cheese for the top

For the optional crumb topping:

• 1/2 cup pastured butter
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs you might have in the freezer OR crushed organic cracker crumbs

Instructions:

Clean potatoes and cut off the bad spots.  I like to shred them (I used my Bosch slicer/shredder), but you could also just chop into small bite-sized pieces.  Stir onions in with the potatoes.  Set aside while you do the next step.  (Optional:  fry up a whole chopped onion in 4 Tablespoons of butter or ghee 'til golden and caramelized and stir these in instead of the raw onion for extra yummiliciousness.)

Make the cheese sauce:  over low-medium heat (don’t let this burn, keep stirring) melt 1/2 cup butter, stir in flour.  Let cook on the stove for 2-3 minutes as it bubbles a little and starts to thicken.  Add in cream, milk , and sour cream.  Keep stirring until it’s all mixed in and has a nice consistency for a sauce, not too thick and not too thin.  Add 1 cup shredded cheese and stir in until melted. Add sea salt and pepper to your taste.

Drain any excess liquid off the potatoes & onions. Stir in the cheese sauce.  Spread into a buttered 9×13 glass or stainless steel pan. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese over the top of the potatoes.

Optional bread crumb topping:  Melt another 1/2 c. butter in a small saucepan.  Stir in seasoned bread crumbs you might have in the freezer OR crushed organic cracker crumbs.  Sprinkle over top of the potatoes.

Cover well until you’re ready to bake.  These can be frozen or just set in the fridge overnight.

Bake 90 minutes at 400* (so the potatoes are all the way done and not crunchy like mine were after an hour).  Watch to be sure the top doesn’t get too brown, if so, cover loosely with foil so the foil doesn’t touch the food.

How do you make your easy cheesy potatoes?  🙂

• More side-dish ideas