Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: Serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cubed (1/2-inch cubes) white or red potatoes (peeled or not as you prefer)
- 4 oz. gruyere; shredded
- 1 tsp. unsalted butter plus additional butter to grease ramekins
- 3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese; separated
- 1 tsp. flour
- 1/4 cup white wine or vermouth
- 1 sm. clove garlic; peeled and finely chopped
- Dash of pepper sauce
- 1 cup cubed (1/2-inch cubes) cooked ham steak*
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease two 6-inch ramekins with butter and dust each with 1 1/2 teaspoons of parmesan cheese.
2. Boil potatoes until just tender. Drain.
3. Heat wine in the microwave until warm - about 45 seconds at full power.
4. Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes.
5. Whisk in the warmed wine and cook until thickened.
6. Whisk in some of the cheese until completely melted.
7. Continue whisking in cheese, a bit at a time, until it's all added and the sauce is smooth. Stir in mustard and pepper.
8. Add potatoes and ham to sauce and combine. Scoop into ramekins and top each with 1 tablespoon of parmesan. Bake in center of oven for 20 - 30 minutes until golden brown.
Variations: I've been known to toss some frozen peas, leftover spinach or kale into the mixture or to substitute an chopped, cooked Italian sausage link for the ham.
*Note: My preference is for smoke Virgina ham. I'll have the deli cut a single 1/2-inch thick slice, which is around 8 - 10 ounces. But as I said, I usually double the recipe.