Autumn Potato Gratin

Years ago, we had dinner with friends and they prepared the best tasting potato casserole. I asked for the recipe and have been preparing it for special occasions and most holidays ever since. (I promise to post the recipe here at some point)
 This year, since Thanksgiving would be celebrated with just my husband and myself, I decided to try something new. I really like Rachel Ray's recipes and I found this dish on www.foodnetwork.com. It's incredibly creamy, cheesy and rich. And well worth the extra calories. This is definitely a special occasion dish. Although it is simple to prepare, and incredibly delicious, it's the sort of dish that merits only being made for special days. Another plus, I grew some herbs over the summer and brought them in for the winter. I had four large pots with beautiful herbs happily growing in them, sitting in my kitchen window, waiting to be used. This recipe calls for sage, thyme and rosemary. All three were right here, fresh and ready. Of course, we had plenty of leftovers and I'm happy to report that they heat up well and the consistency and flavors stay the same. I hope you enjoy making this.

Autumn Potato Gratin

8 servings

4 lbs mixed baby potatoes, such as Red Bliss. Peruvian Purples, and Fingerlings
2 cups heavy cream, plus some to cover
4 tbs butter (1/2 stick)
2 sprigs each fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary
2 garlic cloves, cracked
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Halve the potatoes and toss them into a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, put the cream, butter, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, to infuse the cream with flavor. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the hot cream mixture through a strainer over the potatoes, (discard the herbs and garlic), if there is not enough cream to go 3/4 of the way up the potatoes then pour some additional cream on top to make up the difference. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and the top begins to brown. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.