Weekend Menu #49: My baked cheesy potato & onion dish

Long time I did not bake (but it is not like I do bake a lot.  *wink*).  However once a while I will used my oven to bake meat and potatoes.  One of my signature dishes (ahem!) is this cheesy potato & onion dish.  Actually the first time I baked it was back in December last year when my friends from Australia came back for Christmas.  I was thinking of what to cook then and suddenly this baked potatoes dish came into my mind.  So then I try used the cheese sauce to go with my potatoes.  Glad that my friends enjoyed the dish and it inspired me to improve the recipe.  I baked thrice since then when we had guests to the house and on all occasions, my guests commented that it was nice and filling!  *Happy*
 

Hubby commented how come the top part looks burnt, but it tasted just nice.  No burn taste at all!  Because of the cheese.  If you do not want to have those black-ish look on top, you can spread the cheese on top during middle of the baking, i.e. after 20 minutes into baking.  But I am lazy so "hentam" everything one shot and throw into the oven. 

 

So last Saturday, I baked this dish again and this round, I added big onion into the recipe.  The result?  You try it out and be the judge!!!  *wink*

 

I prefer to used shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese as they go well with this dish but since I could not find Parmesan, I used shredded Cheddar cheese instead for this round.  And you could used full cream milk if you like, but I prefer skim milk.

 

Baked Cheesy Potato and Onion

Ingredients:

6 medium sized potatoes, peeled, sliced, washed, boiled and drained
1 big onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups skim milk
2 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp Cheddar cheese (if used Parmesan, then 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese)
Salt and pepper to taste (I add 1 tsp of each)

The 2 cheese that I have in store!

Method:

1. Prepare the potatoes first and set it aside. 

2. Heat up a pan with olive oil.  Then add in the big onion.  Lightly stir fry for 1 minute and dish it up.  Set aside.

3. To prepare cheese sauce, heat up a sauce pot in medium flame.  Add butter into the pot.  Once butter has melted, add in the flour.  Continue stirring to mix and then off the flame.  Slowly add in the skim milk. 

4. Return to low heat and continue to stir the milk.  Once the milk has boiled, add in Mozzarella cheese, Cheddar cheese (or Parmesan), salt and pepper.  Continue to stir till the cheese has melt and the mixture has reduced and become more sticky.

5.  Off the flame.
6. Grease a baking tray with butter.  Arrange the sliced potatoes as first base. Scatter some fried onion on top of the potatoes.  Then pour some cheese sauce on top of the potatoes and onion.

 

7.  Continue the process till you finish up the potatoes, onion and sauce.  I make 3 levels of sliced potatoes.

8. Scatter some Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese on top before you bake.  Bake the potato in a preheat oven for 30 to 40 minutes or till the dish is firmer.  Test by pricking with fork.

How it looks like after 20 minutes into baking!!  Another 20 minutes it is done!!