Shelly's Recipe

INDIVIDUAL SWEET POTATO GRATINS WITH CREME FRAICHE, ONIONS AND BACON

Category: Au Gratin and Scalloped

8 pieces bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
4 cups sweet potatoes, thinly sliced (1/8-inch thick)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
6 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste

Lightly grease 4 individual baking dishes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small saute pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from heat, crumble and toss with onion and garlic.

In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, and cook until the mixture is well combined but still pale. Stir in the milk and the creme fraiche. Reduce the heat to low and bring to a simmer. Stir in nutmeg, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.

Layer 4 to 6 slices of potato at the base of each of the prepared baking dishes. Top with a few tablespoons of bechamel and a few spoonfuls of the bacon mixture. Repeat with another layer of potatoes, another layer of bechamel and more bacon. Top with one last layer of potatoesand spoon remaining bechamel over the top. Finish with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese.

Bake the gratins until they are bubbly around the edges and cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Serves 4.