Alright, let’s talk about this potato mushroom casserole I whipped up. It was a Sunday, I was feeling lazy but also kinda wanting something comforting and warm. So, I figured, why not?
First things first, I grabbed a bunch of potatoes. Like, a good five or six. Gave ’em a good scrub – didn’t bother peeling ’em, I like the skin – and then sliced ’em up pretty thin. Not paper-thin, but you know, thin enough to cook through nicely. I threw those into a big bowl.
Next up, mushrooms. I had some cremini mushrooms hanging out in the fridge, looking kinda sad. So, I chopped those up, not too small, I wanted some chunky mushroom goodness in there. Maybe like a pound or so? I don’t really measure, I just eyeball it.
Okay, now for the onion. Half a yellow onion, diced. Sautéed that in a pan with some olive oil until it was all soft and translucent. Then I tossed in the mushrooms and cooked ’em until they released all their water and started to brown a little bit. Salt, pepper, you know the drill.
For the sauce, I wanted something creamy. I didn’t have any cream cheese, so I went with a bechamel. Melted some butter – maybe like, two tablespoons? – then whisked in two tablespoons of flour. Cooked that for a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour taste. Then I slowly poured in about two cups of milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Kept stirring until it thickened up into a nice, creamy sauce. Added a pinch of nutmeg, some salt, and pepper.
Now, the layering! I greased a casserole dish, and then started layering the potatoes, the mushroom mixture, and drizzled some of that bechamel sauce over each layer. Repeated that a few times until I ran out of potatoes and mushrooms. Made sure the top layer was mostly sauce.
Topped the whole thing with some shredded cheddar cheese. Because, why not? Popped it into a preheated oven at 375°F (about 190°C) for about an hour, or until the potatoes were tender and the cheese was all bubbly and golden brown.
The Result? Amazing! Super comforting, cheesy, and the mushrooms gave it a nice earthy flavor. It was the perfect lazy Sunday dinner. I’ll definitely be making this again. Maybe next time I’ll add some garlic to the mushroom mixture for extra flavor.
Here’s a little breakdown for those who like details:
- Potatoes: 5-6, thinly sliced
- Mushrooms: 1 lb, chopped
- Onion: 1/2, diced
- Butter: 2 tbsp
- Flour: 2 tbsp
- Milk: 2 cups
- Cheddar cheese: Shredded, as much as you want!
- Salt, pepper, nutmeg: To taste
Simple Steps:
- Slice potatoes, chop mushrooms & onions
- Sauté onion & mushroom
- Make bechamel sauce
- Layer everything in casserole dish
- Top with cheese & bake
That’s it! Give it a try and let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
