Potatoes au Gratin (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan Option Noted)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs potatoes, sliced thin
• 4 slices uncured, hickory smoked bacon*
• 2c Pumpkin Puree (I use homemade)
• 1 can Whole-Fat Coconut Milk
• ¼ c Nutritional Yeast + enough to sprinkle (I use KAL Nutritional Yeast, it’s safe, vegan and delicious!)
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• 1 tbs onion powder
• 1 ½ tsp smoked sea salt (I purchase mine at the farmer’s market, although this alderwood smoked sea salt is perfect for this dish!)
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400f. In medium sized sauce pan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve fat*.
2. Add in pumpkin puree, coconut milk, ¼ c nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked sea salt, paprika, and cayenne to sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat until sauce begins to bubble, remove from heat. Crumble bacon and stir into cheese sauce (optional).
3. Cover the base of a 2-quart casserole dish with a thin layer of cheese sauce (approximately ¼ of the sauce). Over this, carefully lay 1 layer of thin potato slices (approximately ¼ of the slices), then alternate cheese and potatoes, making sure the top layer is cheese. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with nutritional yeast and place dish in oven.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
5. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
6. Makes 8-10 servings.
7. *If opting for a vegan version, replace bacon grease with 2 tbs coconut oil, use smoked paprika and smoked cayenne for an extra-cheesy flavor.

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