Tuscan Cheese Potato Bake

Found this new recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens, March 2010 issue and decided it looked too good NOT to try.  I love different cheeses together and this one has Fontina, Parmesan, and blue cheese.  How’s that for an interesting combo.

It’s really tasty!  I loved all these flavors together and anything with Panko breadcrumbs HAS to be good, right?

Tuscan Cheese Potato Bake

2 lb. red potatoes

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 1/2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried

1/4 cup butter

1 cup buttermilk

4 oz. fontina cheese, shredded

4 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely shredded

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1 TBL olive oil

Snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 400*. 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 min. until tender.  Drain.

In 12-in 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 & 1/4 tsp. black pepper.  Fold in fontina cheese, half the Parmesan, and the blue cheese.  Evenly spread in baking dish.

In small bowl, combine remaining Parmesan, panko, Italian seasoning & oil.  Toss with fork to combine.  Evenly sprinkle over potato mixture in dish.  Bake for 20 min. or until bubbly and top is golden.  Sprinkle with snipped fresh parsley.

Makes 8 to 10 servings (well, may in a normal family, but not in ours). 🙂

Hope you try it and enjoy it too!  Adding this to Jen’s Tasty Tuesday.