Caramelized Onion Blue Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

If your looking for a variation on traditional scalloped potatoes, consider this dish. Blue cheese and caramelized onions meld together in a creamy Bechamel sauce for a side dish that is hearty and comforting, yet elegant.
These potatoes go great with this Turkey Meatloaf. Assemble it in the morning to save time at dinner. Then pop it in the oven 45 minutes before you eat and you're set!

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
1 Sweet Onion
2 T. Butter
2 T. Flour
1/2 T. Brown Sugar
1/2 t. White Pepper
1/4 t. Grated Nutmeg
2 T. Butter
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 C. Milk(I use Almond)
1/2 C. Heavy Cream
Salt, to taste
1/3 C. Blue Cheese, crumbled
2 T. Freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in upper third of the oven.

Place the cleaned potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just barely tender. Drain the potatoes and let cool.
Meanwhile, add 2 T. Of butter to a sauté pan and melt on medium heat. Thinly slice the onion and add to the pan. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes and then add the brown sugar to the pan. Continue to sauté the onion until it develops a deep brown caramel color. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Melt 2 T. of butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour to the butter and stir until combined. let cook for 1 minute and then pour in the heavy cream. Turn the heat up to medium and stir continuously until the cream has thickened. Whisk in the milk and let simmer until thickened and smooth. Add in the nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. Remove from heat.

Thinly slice the cooled potatoes and spread one layer of potatoes in an 8-9" baking dish. Top the potatoes with 1/3 of the caramelized onions. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the onion and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the blue cheese. Arrange another layer of potatoes in the dish and top with another 3rd of the onions, sauce, and blue cheese. Top with the remaining potatoes, sauce, onions and blue cheese. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan evenly over the top of the dish.

Place dish on a shallow baking pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is a golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Blueberry and Cream Scones

This is the perfect scone recipe. It can be changed up to make any flavor combo you like. Today I was feeling like a little Blueberries and cream. Maybe if I start cooking like Its warm outside the weather will oblige.
Well, I can dream at least.
Make these for breakfast, a snack, or serve along side some thick whipped cream for a dessert.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 T. Baking Powder
1/4 t. Salt
6 T. Sugar
6 T. Butter, cold
1 1/2 t. Vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 can blueberries, rinsed, strained, and dried.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the cream and vanilla into the well.
Mix everything together(I use my fingers) until just barely combined. Do not over mix or scones will be tough. Pour the blueberries over the dough and very gently toss until distributed.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Gently press the dough down(berries squish easily!) and lightly roll until the dough is an even 1" thick. Cut into circles or squares and place 1 1/2" apart on baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 10-12 minutes more. Remove before they are more than lightly browned.

Cool on a wire rack.

To make the cream icing, place about 1 c. of powdered sugar in a bowl. Pour about 2 T. of heavy whipping cream in the center and whisk with a fork until combined. Add more cream and stir until the desired consistency is archived. Drizzle over cooled scones.