Disneys Blue Bayou Potatoes

I don’t think I have posted this recipe yet, have I?

It was a lovely spring day in Southern California and we were at the “happiest place on earth”.

We were having a cozy meal at the Blue Bayou restaurant, the one where you can watch the gondolas, okay, boats, glide by on their way through the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. From your candlelit table you can hear the “frogs and crickets” in the perpetual night of the Bayou swamp.

And the occasional screaming as the boat’s head down the falls where “Dead men tell no tales”.

I wish I could tell you what I ordered to eat that day. I only remember the one thing.

The potatoes.

Scallopy-gratiny potatoes.

Flavorful-tender potatoes.

I ate mine,  moaning with each bite. Heavenly. Then I glanced around, distracted hubby and ate his.

Then I start looking around at the tables near me. Are they busy watching the boats go by?

I could have gotten myself thrown out of the happiest place on earth if I wasn’t careful. Instead dear hubby asked if we could have the recipe for the potatoes. I thought “no way, they won’t part with that”. But the cook came out and introduced himself, then said he would gladly email me the recipe.

And he did!

And  now I share with you. I originally wrote up the recipe directly from what was emailed to me (which I just found.) After a readers comment, I added notes. Also, I go pick some thyme out of the garden, strip the stems and just sprinkle it in. I dont I measure.

Au Gratin Potatoes Disneyland Resort®

Chef Moises Carranza

Ingredients

1  Brown Onion Julienne (or sliced thin)

1 Tbsp.  Butter (Or more as needed)

3 lbs  Peeled and Thin Sliced Potatoes

2 Cups Heavy Cream

1 Tbsp. salt (thats what it called for, seems like a lot)

1/8 Tbsp.(equals 1/2 teaspoon)  Fresh Ground White Pepper 

¼ Tbsp.(equals 1 teaspoon) Fresh Thyme Leaves 

2 Tbsp  Garlic Finely Chopped 

1/8 cup Jalapeno Pepper (canned) (I don’t use. And its still delicious.)

1/8 tsp Chicken Base (or chicken bouillon cubes. I generally use the gluey stuff comes in a jar called chicken base.)

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (I grate it fresh for best flavor, and then probably use more.)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Saute onions with butter until caramelized. This will take about 20 minutes on low heat. I usually add a pinch of sugar and extra butter if it looks too dry, like it might stick.

 Mix sliced potatoes, and caramelized onions and put in a buttered baking dish.(9 x 13 glass or 12″ round stoneware or cast iron skillet) Mix cream, garlic, salt, white pepper, jalapenos, chicken base and thyme leaves and blend until smooth. Pour blended mixture over potatoes and onions, mix and cover. Bake for 2 hours or until potatoes are tender. (This is where I get ticked off at myself for not reading the whole recipe ahead of time and not giving myself enough time to bake it. But that extra hour caramelizes it and makes it so tender.) 

Remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (Okay, I usually add the cheese before I bake, although thats not what the recipe calls for originally. Sometimes I even add extra cheese because, well, cheese! )

Then invite over Mickey and Minnie and maybe Goofy to share with you. Since this is supposed to be the deep, deep, ever so deep south, maybe serve with crawdads or hush puppies.

Oh and thank you Moises!