Collegiate Times

Adding hamburger to a classic potato gratin makes for a heartier, meat-and-potatoes dish. Affordable and simple, this recipe is perfect for students on a budget.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1/2 pounds button mushrooms

2 pound ground beef

1 pint heavy cream

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

3 large potatoes

1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Dice the onion, quarter the mushrooms and mince the garlic. Over low heat, sweat the onions and garlic until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until softened, about five minutes.

3. Reserve the vegetables and add the ground beef to the pan. Increase the heat to medium and cook the ground beef until evenly browned, about 10 minutes.

4. Return the mushrooms and onions to the pan. Add the heavy cream, cheddar cheese and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the potatoes into rounds. Toss the slices of potato in vegetable oil, salt and pepper.

6. Pour the hamburger mixture into a 12-by-8 baking dish. Layer the potato slices on top of the hamburger mixture. There should be enough slices to make two layers over the baking dish.

7. Bake for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

A version of this article appeared in the Sep 5 issue of the Collegiate Times.