I can remember a few (OK, it was more like a couple) years back, when I never used to cook or bake or really make anything in the kitchen at all.  Whenever it was time to go to a family gathering, I would bring flowers, wine, a dessert from the bakery or even a tray of pasta purchased from a restaurant.  While the friend or family member who was hosting the party would be grateful for whatever I would bring to their party, I always felt as though some of the party attendees would throw me some weird and crazy looks.  I think they thought it was funny (or sad) that I, a grown adult, wasn’t ashamed to admit that I didn’t cook and that I worked hard for the money I used to buy the food I brought to the party.  I often times would just brush off those looks by making a joke about having no interest in cooking and deep down inside, I would feel a bit embarrassed.

Now, I love to cook! I love finding new recipes, learning new tricks in the kitchen, trying out ingredients I’ve never used before and of course, tasting my latest creations.  And when someone now invites me over to a party, I jump at the chance to bring something.  And now, that something is homemade!

A couple months back was my brother-in-law’s welcome home party.  While my sister-in-law to be (the one throwing the party) insisted that I didn’t need to bring anything, I didn’t want to show up empty handed.  So, I began looking through my recipe collection and found one I had made previously and brought to a dinner party.  It was a hit the first time I made it, so I figured the second time around would be just as fabulous.

Potato and Sun-Dried Tomato au Gratin with Spinach and Cannellini Beans
Adapted recipe from Cooking Light

10 Servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

• 1  cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil (about 2 ounces)
• 3 pounds of peeled baking potato, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups of chopped frozen spinach (I used a 16 oz. bag from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 cup of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 TBSP Smart Balance Light
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 1/2 TSP  dried oregano
• 1/2 TSP  sea salt
• 1/2 TSP  cracked black pepper
• 2 TBSP of cornstarch
• 2 TBSP of warm water
• 2 cups of lowfat milk
• 2 cups (8 ounces) of grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 TSP of white pepper
• few sprinkles of crushed red pepper
• few dashes of cayenne pepper
• few dashes of paprika

1) Place your sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them.  Cover the bowl (I used a large plate) and let them sit for 30 minutes.  Once they have softened, pour out the water and chop the tomatoes into long strips.  Set them aside.

Before                                                                                      After

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3) Place the potato slices (make sure your slices are uniformly cut) in a large pot, and cover with water.  Bring the potatoes and water to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat.  Let the potatoes simmer for 15 minutes or until they are fork tender.  Once tender, drain your potatoes in a large colander and rinse with cold water.

4) Arrange the potato slices in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5) Microwave or steam your frozen spinach.  Once thawed, wring out as much water as you can.  You want the spinach to be completely dry.

6) Layer the dry spinach on top of the potato slices.

7) Layer the drained and rinsed cannellini beans over the spinach and potatoes.

8 ) Melt your Smart Balance Light in a large sauce pan on medium heat.  Once melted, add your onion and cook for about 3 minutes or until the onion gets tender.  Then, add your sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, sea salt and cracked black pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.  Spoon your cornstarch into a cup filled with 2 TBSP of warm water.  Mix until smooth.  Add your cornstarch mixture to your pot, stirring constantly.

9) Slowly add your milk (I added it in increments of 1/2 cup) and stir with whisk until well blended.  Take your pot off the heat.  Then, begin adding your cheese (again, using increments of 1/2 cup).  Make sure the increments of cheese have melted before adding more.

10) Once all the cheese has melted and the sauce is well blended, pour the sauce over the potatoes, spinach and beans.  Gently toss to make sure everything is covered and well integrated.

11) Sprinkle the potato mixture with white pepper, cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper.  Gently toss again.  Top with paprika and bake for 20 minutes or until the dish starts getting bubbly and the potato edges begin browning.

The first time I made this dish, I followed the recipe exactly.  This time, I substituted the all-purpose flour for cornstarch, used lowfat milk versus skim milk and added frozen chopped spinach and cannellini beans.  The results were amazing! I used cornstarch because the flour never seemed to blend entirely the first time around and I used lowfat milk to give the sauce a creamier texture.  In order to ‘bulk up’ the dish and to add some protein and vegetables, I added the chopped spinach and cannellini beans.  The added ingredients also gave my dish a boost of color.  It looked like Christmas!

Not only did this dish look pretty, but it was delish! I know it wasn’t the healthiest or ‘Cooking Light-est’ recipes, but I kept in mind that this was being brought to a party for a crowd to share and not for one person to have as their entire meal.  Not only was this recipe easy to make, but it traveled well and was easy to prep when I arrived at the party.  All you have to do is heat for a bit until bubbly and hot.  And, this recipe can be assembled up to 24 hours before cooking.  The chopping/prepping of the potatoes and tomatoes (I chopped and chopped while watching Chopped – no lie!) took a little bit of time and effort, but was well worth it.  It’s a great side dish to bring to a holiday or dinner party and definitely a crowd pleaser (who doesn’t like cheesy potatoes?).  So instead of getting a jeer for bringing something store bought, you can get a cheer for bringing something deliciously divine and incredibly hot!

What’s your ‘go-to’ dish to bring when attending a party?  Do you usually bring something you’ve made in the past or do you like to test out new recipes?

Namasté,
Nicole