Recipe

• Preheat oven to 350F.

• Microwave butter in a small bowl until melted. Measure out heavy cream or milk in a glass measuring cup. Add melted butter to measuring cup, to combine the two.

• Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly either using a kitchen knife or mandolin. You don't want your slices paper thin where you can see through, but relatively thin.

• Lightly butter your cast iron pan.

• Layer 1: Spread a portion of the potatoes at the bottom of your cast iron pan, fanning them out (in a single layer). Season potatoes with salt and pepper, to your liking. Next, pour a 1/3 of the cream and butter mixture, over your layer of sliced potatoes. Next, top a portion of shredded cheese, over your potatoes.

• Layers 2 & 3: Repeat for the 2nd and third layer, but do not finish with cheese on the top layer (will add later).

• Cover & bake: Cover your cast iron pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the potatoes in the middle are soft (use knife to test), it may take 1 1/2 hours.

• Top with shredded cheese, bake again: Remove foil, top with remainder of cheese. Bake for another 10 to 15 minute until golden and bubbly.

• As tempting as it might be, don't dig into your dish just yet! Let your potatoes rest at room temperature for 15 minutes, before serving. The longer it sits, the more the cheese sauce will thicken. Plus, you don't want to burn your mouth with all that cheesy lava!

Equipment

• Cast iron pan

• Small microwaveable bowl

• Glass measuring cup

• Potato peeler

• tbsp/tsp

• Cheese grater: Grating your cheese instead of buying shredded is ideal. Your cheese will melt 5 times better, resulting in a better cheese sauce!

• Cutting board

• Chefs knife or mandolin

• Aluminum foil

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream OR full-fat milk

• 4 tbsp salted butter (melted)

• 1 tbsp of salted butter - for greasing cast iron pan

• 3 large russet potatoes

• Salt

• Pepper

• 2 cups of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese