Potato Cheese Casserole Au Gratin (Gluten-Free)

What? A gluten-free au gratin? Impossible. Au gratin by definition means that the dish has breadcrumbs on top. Enter my all-purpose breadcrumb substitute: flax seed meal. Flax seed meal is high in Omega-3 oil and provides fiber. It’s also tasty. This recipe is a version of scalloped potatoes with a crusty flax seed meal topping. It serves about four people and can be made with hard cheese and lactose-free milk for those who do not digest lactose well.

Ingredients

4 potatoes average size (about the size of a woman’s fist)
¼ c. finely chopped onions (or 1 tsp. onion powder)
1½ c. grated cheddar cheese (or gruyere, Fontina, or other; or combination)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 eggs
1 c. whole milk (lactose-free works fine)
¼ c. flax seed meal
¼ tsp. black pepper
Dusting of paprika
Salt to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Slice the potatoes very thin (no need to scrape off the skins). If your potato slices are thicker, then you will need to bake the casserole longer to get the potatoes to soften up. Chop the onion. Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent (a few minutes). Grate the cheese. Grease a baking dish with butter and then spread 1 tbsp. of olive oil in the bottom of it. Place a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish, sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese (about ½ c. on top. Spread a second layer of potatoes, cover them with the onions (or onion powder) and again sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Place the final layer of potatoes in the baking dish and cover them with the rest of the cheese. Beat the eggs and combine them with the milk. Add the salt and pepper to the eggs and milk. Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle the flax seed meal across the top. Dust with paprika. Generously dot the top with butter.

Cover the casserole and bake for 50 minutes at 350˚. Then uncover the casserole and bake for an additional 15 minutes to crisp the top.

If you want a richer and creamier au gratin, then toss the potato slices with ½ c. of sour cream before placing them in the baking dish.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!