The potato bar worked out very well. I left shopping and prepping of the potatoes and other vegetables mainly to my son and husband so we had about twice as much as we needed for dinner. But that's okay - the leftovers will be used and some is disappearing in the snacking as they play. I started from an apple cider cheddar cheese fondue recipe for the cheese sauce (link below) but made some modifications. I got a hard dry cider for this partly because in my experience with grueyer fondue, the cheese melts better in an acid liquid. I also diced the cheese and tossed it with the flour because that helps keep the cheese from clumping. I added smoked paprika instead of chili powder. Cilantro butter was pretty easy to put together and added a nice touch to the flavor: Cilantro butter 3/4 cups firmly packed cilantro leaves 1 stick (1/4 cup) butter Pinch of salt Pinch of pepper Process in food processor until fully creamed. We had shredded parmesean and cheddar cheeses. Mild and hot salsa (the fresh stuff from the refrigerator section at the market Steamed broccoli and carrots, Diced green pepper and green onions Chana Masala (cilantro butter was really nice with this too) Yogurt and sour cream (separately - not mixed together Taco flavor smart ground Tortilla chips for grazing through the evening with the toppings or in case a potato hater wanted to have nachos instead. Here is a link that might be useful: Cheddar cider fondue

This one travels well. IRISH POTATO CASSEROLE 8 to 10 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 (8 oz.) pkg. sour cream 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/4 cup chopped chives 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tsp. salt Paprika Cook potatoes in boiling water about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes, and mash. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add potatoes and remaining ingredients except paprika; beat until just combined. Spoon mixture into a lightly butter 2-quart casserole; sprinkle with paprika. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before baking. Uncover and bake at 350° F. for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Yield: 8 to 10 servings. My best friend made this for her Thanksgiving luncheon at work this past week and said it was heavenly: THREE CHEESE GARLIC SCALLOPED POTATOES 1-1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced 2 Tblsp. butter, divided 1 pint heavy cream 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced salt and pepper to taste 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 4 slices Provolone cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease a 1-1/2 quart or larger casserole dish with butter or nonstick spray. 2. Layer half of the potato slices in the bottom of the casserole dish. Dot with half of the butter cut or pinched into small pieces. Arrange half of the garlic slices over the potatoes, and then pour half of the heavy cream over. Sprinkle one cup of Cheddar cheese over the layer, and season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering of potatoes, garlic, cream and Cheddar cheese, and then top with the slices of provolone cheese. Season again with salt and pepper. 3. Bake for 1/2 hour in the preheated oven, then sprinkle the Parmesan or Romano cheese over the top. This will create a semi-hard cheese crust. Continue baking uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when tested with a fork. Yields: 6 servings. Submitted by: KarlaLV. © 2007 Allrecipes.com.

We used this recipe of Ann's a couple of nights ago and it was delicious. I think it could be made ahead, except for the baking part. We used several kinds of cheeses in ours (cleaned out the fridge!), so it was very cheesey. We liked it better than twice baked. You could probably even add some crumbled bacon to it if you want and that would make it very similar to twice baked. OMG, this recipe was good -- I ate way too much of this and can't wait to cook it again. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Potato Gratin ============= I don't usually follow a recipe when making a Potato Gratin. Use the following as a guideline and adjust everything to your own taste. For a rich dish, use butter and whipping cream. 3 to 5 Russett Potatoes (or more depending on number of servings required) 1 garlic clove 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (optional) Butter cream or milk Parmesan cheese Gruyère cheese as well as cheddars and blue cheeses can be added for a different taste all together. Salt and pepper . Rub cut garlic clove over the surface of a gratin or casserole dish. Butter. Slice potatoes and place in pot and add enough cream/milk to almost cover. Add the garlic clove, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes, stirring often so the potatoes do not stick. When the potatoes have released some of their starch and thickened the liquid,remove the garlic clove, add 1 to 2 tablespoons butter and some grated Parmesan cheese. Pour into prepared casserole dish, dot with butter and sprinkle with some more Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Another way to make a potato Gratin is to saute some thinly sliced onions in olive oil or butter until golden, add some thyme, and some chicken broth. Add the potatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Pour into a buttered casserole dish sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and bake until cooked.

This is our favorite.......can't begin to tell you how good it is! THE ULTIMATE MAC & CHEESE 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter 3 cups good quality white crusty bread, cut into 1/4 inch pieces 1 qt. (4 cups) half & half 1 cup milk 1/2 cup flour 2 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 2 cups vintage white cheddar cheese, shredded 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded 1 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 1 pound large macaroni with grooves Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and set aside a 9x13 casserole dish. Place bread in a bowl. Melt 4 Tbsp butter and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Pour butter into the bowl with the bread and toss to combine. Set breadcrumbs aside. Melt 6 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan over med heat. When butter melts, add flour. Cook, whisking 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk and half and half and add 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp red pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and nutmeg. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove pan from heat. Stir in 2 cups sharp cheddar, 1 cup vintage white, 1 cup Swiss, and 1 cup parmesan; set cheese sauce aside. Blend the remaining cheese and set aside. Cook macaroni in boiling water 2-3 minutes less than the manufacturer's directions. Transfer macaroni to a colander,rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Add salt and pepper to taste and add 2 tbsp butter. Stir the cheese sauce into the macaroni. Pour mixture into 9x13" dish. Sprinkle reserved cheese and bread crumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes.