Yukon Gold Potato and Wild Mushroom Au Gratin with Blue Cheese and Pancetta

Ingredients
  • 2 cups Shamrock Farms Heavy Cream
  • 2 tablespoons of Shamrock Farms Unsalted Butter
  • 5 ounces of quality crumbled blue cheese (Stilton, Gorgonzola or Maytag)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 pound of mixed wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, morel, portobello, shiitake, oyster or crimini), thickly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme
  • 2 pounds of peeled, very thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1/4 cup pancetta, small diced
  • 1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumb)
Cooking instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 13×9 glass baking dish. Sauté the pancetta on medium-high heat in a pan until slightly crispy; drain on paper towel and reserve.
  2. Place cheese and 1/2 cup of cream and pancetta in a medium bowl. Using a fork, mash into a chunky paste. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Mix in remaining cream.
  3. Melt butter in a heavy pan over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms and thyme until tender and liquid cooks away.
  4. Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes on the bottom of the prepared dish. Spoon on 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 of the mushroom mixture.
  5. Repeat the process one more time by layering the cheese and mushrooms. On the final layer of potatoes, spoon on the remaining cheese mixture.
  6. Cover dish with foil.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, then sprinkle the panko on top and bake again until bubbly and golden brown (about 20 more minutes). The top should have a crispy golden brown layer from the panko.
  8. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.