Congratulations to our giveaway winners, Sarah, Vaishali and Charlotte who each won an Anolon baltic blue 13 by 9 inch oven-to-table ceramic baker. Enjoy!
When we first started planning Maggy’s baby shower, we all envisioned a holiday roast dinner. Because Maggy and Andy have so many good friends in the area, it was a large crowd, so we needed a forgiving (and reasonably priced!) cut of meat. We quickly settled on a rich, sticky glazed ham.
We also needed sturdy side dishes that wouldn’t wilt, fade, or turn drab while nearly sixty people queued up and went through the buffet line. Given all the heavy hors d’oeuvres, rich meat, and decadent desserts, I wanted light, bright, simple side dishes. We oven-roasted scads of carrots and parsnips, and pan roasted a big mound of Brussels sprouts. Potato gratin was a natural too. But rather than dress them with the usual heavy cream and butter, I took them an olive oil and chicken broth direction.
We could have baked up the gratins in standard 13- by 9-inch Pyrex pans, but with the house decorated so beautifully and the occasion so lively and festive, we turned to one of our Big Potluck sponsors—Anolon – and their gorgeous, new oven-to-table Vesta Stoneware. They sent us a couple of their stunning Baltic Blue 13- by 9-inch pans for the gratins, which beautifully enlivened the buffet.
We’re looking forward to all of the other dishes we can bake up in this stunning dish—strata, baked oatmeal, lasagna, stuffing, roast dinners and more. And Anolon is giving THREE readers a chance to own one too. Just answer this question: What irresistible dish would you bake in this pan? Giveaway ends Sunday, December 21 at 9 PM, so don’t wait too long to give us your answer. And come Monday, just in time for Christmas, we’ll post our favorite of the stacked tarts I made for the shower (chocolate, butterscotch and coconut cream!) Get ready to bake!
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling pan
- 3 medium shallots, but into small dice
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 4 pounds yellow potatoes, rinsed and sliced
- Salt and ground black pepper
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Heat oil in a soup kettle over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté until tender 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken broth and rosemary; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Adjust oven racks to lower middle and upper positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 13- by 9-inch pan with olive oil. Working in 4 layers, arrange potatoes in an overlapping single layer; lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with ½ cup of the broth; repeat 3 more times. Cover potatoes with a sheet of parchment and then a sheet of foil; bake on lower-middle rack until tender, about 1 hour. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with cheese; turn oven to broil. Return pan to upper position and broil until cheese melts and is spotty brown, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Let rest a few minutes and serve.
karen says
I would make some lasagna and those yummy potatoes
Troy Windham says
I would make Baccala for our Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve.
Rosa says
Oooo!!! A tomato and potato gratin!! 🙂
Kim H. says
Strata for Christmas morning, Mac an cheese or sweet potato casserole!
Megan says
Favorite family dish of carrot cassorole
Michele says
Lasgna
Desiree' says
Bread Pudding!
Jeanette C says
Lasagna. Then au gratin potatoes (I love cheddar cheese!). That is a gorgeous blue dish! Happy holidays everyone!
Tammy K. says
I would make my family a nice warm apple crisp, no wait–their favorite pot pie I make, or maybe… Oh heck, what couldn’t I make it this beautiful dish?!
TrishInFL says
Lasagna, without a doubt!
Kara says
Baked French Toast!!! Can’t wait to try your spin on Potato Gratin!
Kitty Galvin says
I would make broccoli and cauliflower ay gratin with pumpkin. That would be the perfect dish for it. The potatoes look great too.
Diana Cole says
I think my mother’s biscuit topped chicken pie would look lovely in that striking baking dish.
Blessie Nelson says
I would make the succulent Jassons Fretselse perfect for Christmas!
TaraO says
I’d make lasagna!
Amanda says
This gratin looks absolutely amazing! LOVE rosemary with potatoes!
Cinda Ball says
Your cassolet recipe! Great for a crowd.
Kim Laughlin says
My family has been asking me to make Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese over the holidays – I think it would look beautiful in this pan!
Melissa says
I think I’d make eggplant lasagna first!
Lynn says
It would have to be my mothers scalloped potatoes!
Jane Bonacci says
I have a wonderful recipe for Swiss Fondue Mac and Cheese (gluten-free version) and the rich golden color would be gorgeous against the cobalt blue of the baking dish! I hope you and your beautiful family have a glorious holiday season Pam! Happy Holidays! 🙂
Susan Rebillot says
This stoneware is perfect for making my wild mushroom and butternut squash lasagna for Christmas Day!
christina says
lasagna!!!
Sue G. says
I would make a dish of from-scratch, old-fashioned Boston baked beans in it, and I’d steam on the stove-top a homemade brown bread to go with it.
Cindy says
Baked Ziti. Thanx for the chance to win…
Carla S says
I would make southern style macaroni and cheese.
Sue Swan says
The first thing I’d make to show off that beautiful blue color would be homemade mac and cheese with homemade macaroni. But I’d probably use it multiple days of every week for all sorts of things – what couldn’t you make and show off in there?
Christi Pike says
This looks like a perfect dish to make lasagna for a table of 4…or I might make your wonderful One pot wonder which is the Chicken thigh-potato dish. My husband requested this just last night!
Eri says
cinnamon rolls, I haven’t made them for a few years.
Christina says
I have a recipe for a very hearty vegetarian pot pie that even the staunches of meat eaters loves. It would be perfect in this dish.
Charlotte says
Gorgeous blue – would love to make King Ranch Chicken in this! Merry Christmas, everyone ~
Kel says
I would make lasagna!! Thank you. I have so enjoyed your blog all year long and the wonderful recipes.
Beverly Holley says
I would make lots of things in this beautiful dish! Butternut Sage Gratin, old fashioned meatloaf, certainly these amazing looking potatoes, maybe a brunch strata. Possibilities are endless!
natalie says
Most definitely my lasagna, that dish would be perfect.
Annie Hall Milne says
It’s so beautiful, my holiday table wants it! First up, bread-pudding style dressing. My family can’t get enough of it!
Liz says
I would make my mom’s quiche. It is what I have eaten every Christmas morning since I can remember. She would make it the night before in her 9×13 pyrex, and then it would be popped in the oven as we were opening gifts. After the crazyiness of unwrapping subsided, there would be the quiche, perfectly ready and pipping hot. The best way to spend Christmas morning!
Charlotte says
I’d make this potato gratin! Going to try this recipe right away.
Celeste B says
I would make enchiladas.
Erika P. says
I would make baked macaroni and cheese.
Sue C says
Something for Christmas breakfast involving spinach or kale and roasted red peppers to keep it all Christmasy… is Christmasy a word?
Ashley says
PASTITSIO! My dearest and most darling Greek friend Anastasea and I had the opportunity to cook a Greek Feast several years ago. Neither of us knew how to make Pastitsio (I had never heard of it, and she had a vague idea of how to put it together). While shopping at the West Side Market in Cleveland, OH we happened into the Mediterranean Goods store for some Feta. The shop is owned by Greek immigrants. In a matter of serendipitous glee the woman working the counter was from the region of Greece that created PASTITSIO! She and Anastasea exchanged recipes (in Greek), and we ended up making this amazing dish!! What’s better than pasta baked in bechamel?!
Jessica H says
Mac and cheese. It one of the few sides my son will eat.
Teresa Sheffield says
I would like to make a breakfast casserole for Christmas morning
Heather S says
My grandmother’s homemade baked macaroni and cheese! 🙂
Linda in Glendale says
I’m going to try these potatoes today; I’ve been looking for a recipe using chicken broth. But I’d love to win one of these dishes; the color is gorgeous!
Barbara E. says
Lasagna – yum!
Lori Palmer says
My family famous macaroni & cheese! 🙂
Margot C says
I think that pan is begging for a big bubbly three cheese mac n’ cheese
dee dee says
Beautiful bakeware! If I had this stoneware baking dish, I would ask Ernie to make his world-famous macaroni and cheese to launch it. The next time I would roast a mass of beautiful fresh root veggies – small white turnips, carrots, onions and a celery root. Maybe add some Brussels sprouts for the color and oomph. Some really good olive oil, sea salt and perhaps some thyme. Mmmm. Getting hungry.
Maxine R. says
I would have baked rigatoni with meat sauce and mozzerella cheese all over the top.
Cassie Sue says
I would make lasagna in that pan. Lasagna is something kind of special, and that pan would make it look so beautiful!