Gratin Dauphinois Recipe

This gratin Dauphinois recipe is the ultimate comfort food. Potatoes are double-cooked in seasoned cream and then baked with Gruyere cheese until the gratin is butter-soft. Serve it with roasted lemon rosemary chicken and fresh bread for a great family meal. Another tip for busy cooks: This is a great make-ahead dish (it keeps for 1 day in the fridge before baking), so it really is the ultimate version of classic potatoes au gratin!

Gratin Dauphinois Photo: ©MR+G

Christmas Around Europe Recipe Exchange

Over the next several weeks, I'll be sharing the traditions of a European Christmas with you. Delicious recipes and customs from France will be featured, as well as holiday specialties from Britain, Eastern Europe, Spain and Germany. Join me in celebrating the holidays, European-style!

Christmas Cake - No British Christmas is complete without a Christmas Cake. This Christmas cake recipe may at first look complicated but is actually quite easy, all it needs for success is organization. Assemble and weigh all the ingredients and line the cake tin before you start and the rest is straightforward. The cake can be made up to two months before Christmas allowing time for it to mature to be fed at regular intervals with brandy.

Christmas Pudding - Despite reports that the traditional British Christmas Pudding has fallen out of favor for lighter desserts, it is as popular as it ever was. The pudding is best made well in advance, by several weeks to allow it to mature. Traditionally the Christmas Pudding is made on "Stir It Up Sunday," the Sunday before Advent around the end of November.