pat's Recipe

Tuscan Cheese Potato Bake

Category: Potato

Ingredients
2 lb. red potatoes
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk
4 oz. fontina cheese, shredded (1 cup)
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (1 cup)
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside. Scrub potatoes; cut in 1-inch pieces. In large saucepan cook potatoes in lightly salted boiling water 12 to 15 minutes or until tender; drain.

2. In a 12-inch skillet cook and stir garlic and thyme in butter over medium heat for 1 minute; add potatoes. Coarsely mash potatoes. Stir in buttermilk, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Fold in fontina cheese, half of the Parmesan, and the blue cheese. Evenly spread in baking dish.

3. In small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, panko, Italian seasoning, and oil; toss with a fork to combine. Evenly sprinkle over potato mixture in dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden. Sprinkle with snipped fresh parsley.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.