Solar Potatoes and Onions au Gratin

Vegetables done au gratin can be very impressive, even though they are very easy to prepare. Never able to leave well-enough, alone, I just had to add onions to the potatoes and came up with a very tasty dish.

This is a case where the vegetables are at odds -- the potatoes are dense and the onions are not, so we have to balance the cooking process. Give the sliced potatoes a head start with a 2-minute zap in the microwave before layering them in your casserole. It's not cheating; it's what a multi-tasking cook does!

Potatoes and Onions au Gratin
3 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1.25 cups chicken stock
1 small can evaporated milk + 1 can hot water
1 tsp powdered cream
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp dill leaves
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice

Preheat solar oven to 225F. Lightly grease casserole.  Alternate layers of potato and onion in casserole, starting and ending with potatoes. In large tempered glass measuring cup, blend liquids with herbs and spices; zap in microwave for 2 minutes; pour over potato-onion layers. Cover and bake in solar oven for 70 minutes; uncover, spread shredded cheese over top; return to solar oven and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and potatoes are fork tender.

Do you have a special au gratin recipe?