Ingredients
For the Stacks:
- Oil spray for greasing the muffin tin
- 2.5 lbs starchy potatoes large and long
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 3/4 tsp dried
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
For the Cheese Layers:
- 2.5 oz Gruyère cheese sliced into 12 squares to fit the muffin tin
- 3/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese or any good melting cheese
Instructions
Preheat the Oven
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Prepare Muffin Tin
- Lightly spray a 12-hole muffin tin with oil spray.
Make the Cream Sauce
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 20 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the heavy cream and salt, bringing it to a simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare Potatoes
- Peel the potatoes, trim the bottoms to make them stable, and cut them into cylinders that fit your muffin tin. Slice them thinly (about 1/10 inch thick).
Assemble the First Layer
- Place potato slices in each muffin tin hole, layering them halfway up. Add a teaspoon of the cream sauce over each stack and top with a square of sliced Gruyère cheese.
Assemble the Second Layer
- Add more potato slices to each stack, piling them about 1/3 inch above the rim of the muffin tin. Drizzle the remaining cream sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with most of the thyme leaves (save a little for garnish).
Bake Covered
- Cover the muffin tin loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
Add Shredded Cheese and Finish Baking
- Remove the foil, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of each stack, and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until the tops are golden and bubbly.
Garnish and Serve
- Sprinkle the remaining thyme leaves over the stacks. Let them cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing from the muffin tin with a spoon or butter knife.