Alpine Cream Potato Bake with Crisp Cheese Top

Alpine Cream Potato Bake with a Crisp Cheese Top 🥔🧀 Creamy potato layers, garlicky thyme cream and a bubbling cheese crust - this is the kind of side dish that quietly steals the table. It is cozy enough for a roast dinner, but simple enough for a weeknight with greens and mushrooms. Yield: 4-6 side servings Time: about 1 hour 25 minutes, including resting Ingredients 🛒 - 1.1 kg waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Charlotte, peeled - 300 ml double cream or heavy cream - 180 ml whole milk - 2 garlic cloves, finely grated - 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard - 1 tsp fine salt, plus more for the dish - 1/2 tsp black pepper - 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg - 1 tbsp thyme leaves, plus extra to finish - 25 g unsalted butter, softened, for the baking dish and top - 120 g grated Alpine-style cheese, such as Gruyere, Comte, Emmental or mature cheddar - Optional finish: 1 tbsp chopped chives or parsley Method 👇 1. Heat oven to 180C / 350F. Butter a 2 litre baking dish. Slice the potatoes very thinly, ideally 2-3 mm, so the layers soften at the same pace. 2. Whisk the cream, milk, garlic, Dijon, salt, pepper, nutmeg and thyme in a jug. Taste the cream mixture; it should be gently seasoned because the potatoes absorb a lot of flavour as they bake. 3. Layer half the potatoes in the dish, overlapping them slightly. Scatter over one third of the cheese. Add the remaining potatoes, pour over the cream mixture, then press the surface lightly so the cream settles between the layers. 4. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. A small knife should slide into the centre with only a little resistance. 5. Remove the foil, dot the top with butter, add the remaining cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes more until the top is bubbling, deeply golden and crisp around the edges. 6. Rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This small pause helps the bake slice neatly and keeps the inside creamy instead of loose. Serving notes 🍽️ Serve with roast chicken, ham, seared mushrooms, steamed greens, sharp salad, eggs or grilled fish. A little parsley or chive on top adds freshness against the creamy potatoes. Make-ahead and storage 🧊 For a make-ahead version, bake covered for 45 minutes, cool, chill overnight, then finish uncovered with butter and cheese until hot and browned. Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat at 170C / 340F, loosely covered, then uncover for the last few minutes to refresh the top. Save this one for your next cozy side dish moment. Tasteloom.club