Found a recipe for a potato casserole in my newpaper yesterday. It
sounds wonderful, but I have one question I'd like some advice on. Can
I make this ahead, say a few hours, and stick it in the fridge until
I'm ready to bake it? Will the potatoes discolor?

Here's the recipe, courtesy the Los Angeles Daily News and Flemings
Steakhouse:

Restaurant Replicas: House Specialty Layered Potatoes With Jalapenos
And Cheddar Cheese


2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped leeks
3 tablespoons (OR to taste) diced green chiles (use Jalapeno OR
Anaheim)
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (5 medium to large), peeled and sliced
1/8- to 3/8-inch thick

In a large saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in leeks and green
chiles and cook, over medium-high heat, stirring until tender, 2 to 3
minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring 1 minute. Gradually, whisk
in half-and-half and cook, whisking,until mixture boils and thickens;
cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 cup cheese, salt and
pepper to taste and potatoes until well mixed and cheese is melted.

Spoon mixture into a buttered 8-inch square (2 inches deep) Pyrex
glass baking dish. Press down on top to make potatoes even. Cover
tightly with no-stick foil.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 45 minutes. Remove foil and
continue baking another 35 minutes (put a baking sheet under the dish,
if necessary to catch any spillage). Sprinkle top with remaining 3/4
cup cheese and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until golden and potatoes
are tender. Remove from oven and let stand 30 minutes before cutting
into squares to serve.

Makes 4 to 8 servings

A Restaurant Replica version of a dish served at Fleming's Prime
Steakhouse & Wine Bar.
==============================================

Thanks,
Cathy

cathy wrote:
> Found a recipe for a potato casserole in my newpaper yesterday. It
> sounds wonderful, but I have one question I'd like some advice on. Can
> I make this ahead, say a few hours, and stick it in the fridge until
> I'm ready to bake it? Will the potatoes discolor?
>
> Here's the recipe, [snip]

It's a variation on the potatoes au gratin theme, right? If you make
that, have leftovers and refrigerate them, it reheats pretty well,
right? So you know you could make it all the way and reheat it. Now,
what's going to happen if you assemble it and then refrigerate before
cooking?

Well, the potatoes may absorb a little more of the half and half, I
guess, but I don't see that as creating a problem. Raw peeled potatoes
discolor when they are exposed to air. If they are covered in water
they don't. So if they are all under the liquid in your casserole they
won't. If a few edges on top poke above the liquid maybe they will
after several hours, maybe not. If they do they'll be easy to spot and
remove.

No, I don't see anything to worry about. -aem

cathy wrote:
> Found a recipe for a potato casserole in my newpaper yesterday. It
> sounds wonderful, but I have one question I'd like some advice on. Can
> I make this ahead, say a few hours, and stick it in the fridge until
> I'm ready to bake it? Will the potatoes discolor?

I don't think a little discoloration will show up in the finished dish,
but if you're concerned about it, soak the potato slices briefly in
water with a crushed vitamin C tablet dissolved in it.

The recipe calls for russet potatoes, but I think it would work better
with waxy potatoes.

Bob

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 13:37:03 -0600, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>cathy wrote:
>> Found a recipe for a potato casserole in my newpaper yesterday. It
>> sounds wonderful, but I have one question I'd like some advice on. Can
>> I make this ahead, say a few hours, and stick it in the fridge until
>> I'm ready to bake it? Will the potatoes discolor?
>
>I don't think a little discoloration will show up in the finished dish,
>but if you're concerned about it, soak the potato slices briefly in
>water with a crushed vitamin C tablet dissolved in it.
>
>The recipe calls for russet potatoes, but I think it would work better
>with waxy potatoes.
>
>Bob

That's a great idea! I'm using Yukon Gold potatoes. Does that sound
like it'll work well?
Cathy

cathy wrote:
> On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 13:37:03 -0600, zxcvbob >
> wrote:
>
>
>>cathy wrote:
>>
>>>Found a recipe for a potato casserole in my newpaper yesterday. It
>>>sounds wonderful, but I have one question I'd like some advice on. Can
>>>I make this ahead, say a few hours, and stick it in the fridge until
>>>I'm ready to bake it? Will the potatoes discolor?
>>
>>I don't think a little discoloration will show up in the finished dish,
>>but if you're concerned about it, soak the potato slices briefly in
>>water with a crushed vitamin C tablet dissolved in it.
>>
>>The recipe calls for russet potatoes, but I think it would work better
>>with waxy potatoes.
>>
>>Bob
>
>
> That's a great idea! I'm using Yukon Gold potatoes. Does that sound
> like it'll work well?
> Cathy


Yes they should work great. (I like to use big Red potatoes for
everything but mashed or baked potatoes.)

Bob

To be on the safe side I would be inclined to par-cook the layered
potatoes for about half the cooking time. Then cover with foil and
refrigerate.

While I haven't used jalapenos before (which sounds rather nice) I
usually run a few cut garlic cloves around the inside of the baking
dish before placing in the potatoes, then top the lot with crumbled or
diced bacon (pancetta and parma ham work well too) then bake till
potatoes are cooked and bacon browned.

I don't use flour in mine - just straight pure whipping cream mixed
with about 1 cup of full cream milk. The starch in the raw potatoes
leaks into the milk/cream and creates a lovely smooth sauce. If anyone
would like me to post my recipe will do so.