Mexican Rice

 I'm sure I have mentioned this before, but I love Mexican food. I love the cheese, I love the spice (just not too spicy, I still want to taste my food), I love the sauces, I love salsa, I love the corn tortillas, I love the beans, I love the corn, . . . Need I go on.  Anyway, the other day I made fajitas and thought how if we were at a restaurant they would serve these with rice and beans.  So I went looking for a good Mexican rice recipe and found one in my trusty The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.  With a little adapting for spiciness and lack of a few ingredients it got made and was delicious!

Mexican Rice (printer friendly)

1 can of tomatoes

1 small onion, pealed, trimmed & quartered

1/3 C vegetable oil

2 C long grain rice

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 can diced jalepenos

2 C chicken broth

1 T tomato paste

1 1/2 t salt

2 1/2 T dried cilantro or 1/2 C fresh

Pepper

Lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the rack in the middle.  Puree the tomatoes and onion in the food processor. There should be 2 Cups of puree. Remove any excess so there is only 2 C.

I made A LOT of this since I wanted to freeze it for later.  So you would have a lot less than this for this recipe.

2.Heat the oil on med. heat in an oven proof dutch oven or pot.  Add the rice and saute until light golden brown.  This should take approx 10 minutes (lots more if you are quadrupling it like I did).  Make sure to stir often so the rice doesn't burn.

3.  Stir in the garlic and the can of jalepenos.  Cook until it smells like garlic & jalepenos (about 15 seconds).  Add the pureed tomatoes/onion mixture, broth, tomato paste, salt and cilantro (if using dried). 

Bring to a boil and then cover and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until all the liquid is dissolved and the rice is fully cooked. Be sure to stir after 15 minutes.

4.  Fluff with a fork and add cilantro (if fresh) and add some fresh jalepenos, if desired.

Johnnycakes

For our kids birthdays we always get them a book.  This year for my son, who is just starting chapter books, I found these Magic Tree House-like books called The Enchanted Tunnel series.  It is an LDS (Mormon) series and the first book finds the brother and sister arriving on a pioneer trek.  My son has LOVED this book.  For him, one of the best parts is a recipe for "Johnnycakes."  Pioneers often cooked these in the morning and then they would wrap them up in a handkerchief and put them in their pockets where they would stay warm.  While not especially hygienic, they were practical for "fast food" on the long walk West.  Since my son started the book the number of times he asked for me to make these is incalculable.  Finally, I relented, and it was one of the best decisions I made.

Basically, they are a cross between a Southern cornbread and a pancake.  The first time we ate them we treated them like a pancake with butter and syrup.  This time thought I thought we would branch out and offer pancake toppings and taco toppings, kind of a Navajo Taco without fry bread.  Both ways are delicious. I then sent them as the bread for a sandwich the next day.  I also think they would be great served plain, perhaps as a side in a meal. 

Johnnycakes (printer friendly)
1 1/4 C flour mix
3/4 C cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 t xanthan gum
1 egg beaten
1 C milk (whatever kind you have)
1/4 C melted butter (or oil)

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum.  In a separate bowl combine the egg, milk and melted butter.  Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture and mix just until combined.
2.  Cook one of the following ways:
--Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake on 400-degrees for 30 minutes
--Heat a greased skillet (or griddle) on medium-high heat and pour 1/4 C batter for each "cake."    Turn when the top looks bubbly.

Here are photos of two of our favorite ways to eat them.

 Main Course

Dessert

Sauteed Veggies

The other night I was trying to figure out what to cook.  I wasn't really in the mood to cook and since it was the end of the month we were low on supplies and I was trying to be good and not buy anything.  So after rumaging through my fridge I found 3 large baked potatoes from a previous dinner in the fridge and decided to add some other veggies to them and fry them up with a little seasoning.  It was delicious.   I was afraid I would miss the hamburger which is something I often fry with leftover baked potatoes, but I didn't.  I think we will be eating this more often.

Sauteed Veggies (printer friendly version)
1 T bacon grease (optional, but adds a great flavor you could just sub butter)
1 T butter
4 carrots, sliced
3 slices of onions cut into 6ths (see photo below)
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 large or 3-4 small/med baked potatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cumin

1. In a large fry pan or skillet melt bacon grease and butter.  Add carrots and sautee for about 5 minutes.

Add onion

 one slice cut into sixths

and green pepper and cook until onion is soft.  Add potatoes

 
and seasonings.

Cook until all heated through and some of the veggies are slightly crispy brown.  Enjoy as the main dish of dinner with bread or as a side.  It would be yummy with meatloaf don't you think.  Hmmmm I think I need to buy some hamburger and make meatloaf now.

Pasta with Broccoli and Peppers

This is a recipe we use to make before we entered our GF lifestyle.  I don't make it as often since it is a bit more of a challenge but it is still delicious.  You can add chicken and it is really yummy, but I usually do it without any meat.

Broccoli Pepper Pasta (printer friendly recipe)
12 oz short cut pasta
2 C broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1 T olice oil
1/2 C diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C chicken broth
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 C diced roasted red peppers (or just red peppers)
2 T grated Parmesan cheese (opt)
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 T chopped fresh basil (opt.)

1. In a large pot cook pasta according to package directions.  If using frozen broccoli add when you add the pasta.   If using fresh broccoli add the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. or until pasta is tender and the broccoli has turned bright green.
2. While that cooks, heat a medium skillet on medium heat.  Add the oil.  Add onions and garlic.  Saute for about 2-3 minutes or until they are tender.  Add the broth and vinegar and bring to a boil  Reduce heat to low and stir in the red peppers and black pepper.  Cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

 3. Drain pasta and broccoli and dump into a large bowl. Pour sauce over the top and toss.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil (if using).

Seasoned Refried Beans

How to go from this:

to this:

My church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, ie. the Mormons) has a variety of food cannerys throughout the US and the world.  They help in my church's worldwide humanitarian aid, along with allowing others the opportunity to package their own food.  I order a lot of bulk food there.  The one rule, you have to package some either in #10 cans or plastic pouches and then you can buy as much of what they have on hand.  Considering we eat a lot of refried beans, when I saw dried I thought it was worth a try, and we haven't gone back.  The ingredients are just pinto beans and salt that has been mashed and then dried.  You just have to add equal amounts of boiling water and beans and let it sit for 10 minutes.  You can alter this ratio depending on how thick or thin you want the beans.  The best part is that you can add seasoning to the beans and this is the part we love.

Here is how I make them.  I imagine you could do this with any dried refried beans, I just don't know where you would get them.

Seasoned Refried Beans (printer friendly)

1 C water*
1/2 T chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried cilantro
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 C dried beans*

1. In a small saucepan combine water, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Add beans.  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.  Stir. Note: This makes a runnier consistency so if you prefer thicker reduce the water.

*Or whichever ratio your dried beans use.

Pasta & Cheese

I'm almost ashamed to admit that until yesterday I had only had pesto once, bought from the store and I did not like it.  Which is even more surprising since I LOVE Basil.  Yesterday my kids and I had lunch at a friends where we had quesadillas.  My friend said that she had some pesto and suggested pesto quesadillas to which I decided to try it again.  They were so good I could hardly believe I had ever not liked it.  The main difference, it was freshly made not store bought.  Anyway, I ran to the store and bought the ingredients I needed to go with my fresh basil and made it for dinner to serve over pasta.  The problem: there was no way my kids were going to eat it so I decided they would have macaroni & cheese.  The next problem, no GF mac & cheese.  However, I did have some leftover GF pasta in the fridge from when we had Fresh From the Garden Sauce & pasta, so I decided to make a quick sauce to pour over and it turned out so good I had some myself. My husband ate it with pesto.

Pasta & Cheese (printer friendly recipe)
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp minced onion or 1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T potato flour
1 C milk
dash of Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 C cheddar cheese
3 T Parmesan cheese
Cooked pasta

1. In a small saucepan over med heat, melt the butter.  Add the minced onion (if using) and saute for a minute or so.  Add the garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper and saute a few seconds.  Add the flour and stir forming a crumbly roux.
2. Add milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition.  Add Worcestershire sauce.  Continue stirring until sauce boils.  Boil for 1 minute.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Serve over cooked pasta. Makes 1 Cup sauce.

Rosemary Potato Bundles

One of the blogs I love is The Pioneer Woman Cooks. The woman who writes it is the wife of a rancher who likes meat and potatoes with all the cream, salt, butter, etc. Consequently, her food is delicious, if not a little fattening. I personally love her site and her food. That said, my husband is desperately trying to eat healthier and The Pioneer Woman is not what he is looking for. (Truthfully, I should be eating healthier, but I choose to ignore that voice in my head, most of the time). So the other night I made The Pioneer Woman's Potato Bundles and added some fresh Rosemary instead of Parsley and fell in LOVE! And so did my husband. Even though I reduced the butter and used half-and-half instead of cream he wondered if I couldn't make them even healthier and suggested using olive oil. It sounded good, I do like roasted veggies done with olive oil, I figured these should be good also. I was right, so you could say these are a lighter (not light) version of The Pioneer Woman's Potato Bundles. For more precise photos of how to assemble these check out the link to the Potato Bundles above.

Rosemary Potato Bundles (printer friendly)

Potatoes (1/person)
Onion, chopped
Olive Oil or butter (about 1/2 Tbsp-1 Tbsp butter/person)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Cumin
Rosemary

1. You will be making individual "bundles" with 1 potato (or more if you like) per person. Make tin foil "squares" large enough to accommodate the ingredients.
2. Dice each potatoes into about 3/4 to 1-inch cubes and place each diced potato on a square of tin foil. Add chopped onion, as much as you prefer, I used 1/2 med onion for 5 people.
3. Add about 1-2 tsp olive oil to each "bundle" (I just poured a little on). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika, & cumin. Top with a few leaves of fresh rosemary.
4. Wrap the foil tightly around the bundles and bake on a cookie sheet in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes or until very tender.

Quick Sauteed Mushrooms

I love sauteed mushrooms and often order them at restaurants. That said, I don't often have fresh mushrooms around, when I want sauteed ones I cheat and use a can of mushrooms. While not exactly the same, it is delicious! I like to eat them on hamburgers and as a side.

Quick Sauteed Mushrooms

1 Tbsp butter
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Dash of onion salt
Dash of garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1. In a small skillet, melt butter over med heat.
2. Add remaining ingredients and saute for about 3-4 minutes.

Sauteed Squash & Onions

I love summer because of all the fresh fruits & veggies from our garden. One dish I really look forward to is sauteed squash & onions. My mom use to make it for us growing up. Often she would toss in breadcrumbs as well, but since going gluten free, I don't do that often. If I do, I take out some for my daughter before adding the crumbs. It is a pretty simple recipe but delicious!

Sauteed Squash & Onions

2 Tbsp butter or oil
1 zucchini, halved & thinly sliced
1 crook-neck squash, halved/quartered & thinly sliced
1 sm onion, halved & thinly sliced
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet melt butter over med-high heat.
2. Add squash & onions, and salt & pepper
3. Saute until squash is cooked through and onions are translucent.

Grandma's Baked Beans

Growing up we lived far away from my Grandparents most of the time. Consequently, we only visited a couple times a year usually for holidays or other important family events. As a child I never really got to know my grandparents and as an adult I moved even further away from her, and there were times when I wondered if she knew me. Usually when we visited my dad's parents my Grandmother would make Baked Beans which I tended to eat the whole weekend. Once I was grown and moved out I called my Grandmother and got the recipe. It has become my go-to recipe for potluck picnics and it is always a hit. When my Grandmother passed away and our family gathered we all talked about the food we loved that Grandma made and we realized that whenever we visited she always had our favorites. I realized then that my Grandmother not only knew me but cooked food just for me (she also made these pecan bar cookies that were to die for) because she knew I liked it. Anyway, whenever I make this recipe I think of her and I feel loved. I hope you enjoy it also.

Grandma's Baked Beans
1 lb ground beef*
1 small onion, minced*
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can butter beans, drained**
1 can pork and beans
1/2 C barbecue sauce
2/3 C brown sugar
1/4 C molasses or honey***
1/2 C ketchup
2 tsp mustard
1/2 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled****

This is my quick method.
1. Brown ground beef and add onion, cook until tender.
2. While browning drain beans

Don't they look pretty

TIP: When opening a can of beans, open from the bottom, then you don't need a spoon or spatula to get the beans off the bottom of the can, the can just drains cleanly.

3. Measure sauces & seasonings

I use a 2-cup measuring cup and just add all the (except sugar) to that, starting with the BBQ sauce. Then I just take a spatula & clean it out. It is a lot easier than finding different measuring cups. If you notice, my mustard is approx.

4. Dump the ground beef mixture, bean mixture, pork & beans, sugar, sauce & seasoning mixture together & stir well.

OVEN DIRECTIONS:
Pour into a 3 qt casserole dish, top with bacon. Bake at 350-degrees covered for 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 15 more minutes

CROCK-POT DIRECTIONS:
Pour into a crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

*I often replace this with a can of black beans drained, or if I double the recipe I do 1/2 ground beef & 1/2 black beans. If you use black beans either sub onion powder for the onions (which I did this time) or saute some onions and toss in. You can also add a beef boullion cube if you would like
**I didn't have butter beans so I used Great Northern
***I have used either. Molasses gives it a deeper flavor and a little more smokey, honey makes it sweeter. Whichever you prefer. For me, it just depends on the day.
1 can pork & beans, undrained
****TIP: When frying a lot of bacon, if you use a griddle and cover the bacon with tin foil, the bacon grease doesn't splatter everywhere and you can fry the whole pound quickly.

Potato Logs & Sauce

This is one of my favorite treats, and really while this post has a recipe for potato logs, it is all about the sauce. "Fry Sauce" to be exact. It is somewhat of a Utah/Idaho thing, but it should be everywhere. You should try it, you just might be hooked.


Potato Logs
4-5 Russet Potatoes, sliced lengthwise, skin on
2 Tbsp oil
Season salt, or any combo of spices.

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees
2. On a large cookie sheet place 1 Tbsp oil and spread over pan.
3. In a Gallon Zip-loc bag pour remaining oil and add potatoes. Close bag and toss.
4. Lay potatoes out on pan so the skins are down. Sprinkle seasoning over potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes.

Fry Sauce

Measurments are approx, since I use color to determine ratio
1/2 C Ketchup
1/3 C Mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
1 tsp Horseradish, opt.
1/2 tsp relish, opt.

1. I measure based on color, so here goes. Place ketchup in small bowl, add mayo and horseradish. Mix. Add more mayo or ketchup until it is salmon pink in color. I didn't have enough may in the above photo so I had to add more. I didn't do relish this time.

Almond-Rice Pilaf

I love basmati brown rice. It smells and tastes so yummy. It is also my favorite complement to Rocky Mountain Bean Storm. When I was making dinner last night it sounded so yummy, but I wanted to spice it up you could say, so I did. The result was DELICIOUS! and went well with our Pineapple-BBQ Chicken.

Almond-Rice Pilaf
4 C water*
4 bouillon cubes*
2 C basmati brown rice
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/3 C slivered almonds

Bring water and bouillon cubes to boil. Add rice and parsley. Reduce heat and cook for about 50 minutes. (I reduced to simmer so it didnt' burn like it did last time since I was busy painting and didn't want to forget about it and it took about 1-1/2 hours - so don't reduce too low if you are on a time crunch) When cooked, remove from heat, toast almonds and stir into rice.

*or 1 quart broth

Dinner Nachos

This is a favorite "quick" meal at our house and insanely easy. Basically add how much you want of each ingredient or some of your own and bake.

Dinner Nachos
Tortilla Chips
Refried Beans, heated*
Black Beans
Olives, sliced
Tomatoes (fresh or canned added at different times), chopped
Jalapeno or Green Chili Peppers
Cheese
Onions, chopped
Salsa
Hot Sauce

1. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray if desired.
2. Lay tortilla chips on Sheet
3. Top with Refried Beans, Black Beans, olives, canned tomatoes, peppers cheese.
4. Place in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
5. Top with Onions, fresh tomatoes, salsa & hot sauce

NOTE: My kids don't like spicy foods so my husband and I add salsa & hot sauce to the nachos on our plate.

*I like to add a little garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin and dried cilantro to plain refried beans for extra flavor.

Rocky Mountain Bean Storm

I made this a few nights ago and have been meaning to post it since. I got this recipe from my good friend Valerie. Apparently, it was a recipe from her college roommate days, and when she got married her husband felt "Hot Bean Dish" was a boring name so he renamed it. It is more of a base recipe and you can modify it how you want.

YUM!

Rocky Mountain Bean Storm (printer friendly)

1/2 lb Bacon
1 lb Ground Beef*
1/2 C Onion*
1/2 C Ketchup
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp-1/4 C Dijon Mustard
3 cans of different beans, with juices**
4 C cooked rice (brown is especially good)***

1. Fry bacon until crisp. I like to do this in the oven on 350. Line the pan with tin foil for less mess.
2. Brown hamburger and onion and drain.*
3. Add next 6 ingredients and simmer on stove for 1 hour. Or on high in a crock-pot for 4-6.

*If you don't want/have hamburger, substitute 1-2 cans black beans, drained and saute onions in a little olive oil
**Original recipe calls for baked, kidney, & lima. I usually use black, kidney, & pork and beans. My friend uses pinto a lot. This time when I made it I didn't have pork and beans so I used chili beans and it was equally delicious.
***When we ran out of rice (the kids wanted some plain) I ate it over some leftover baked potatoes and it was yum!

Kathryn's Fruit Salad

This is a recipe my sister got from a roommate in college. It is a family favorite!

Kathryn's Fruit Salad

1 can each: pineapple, mandarin oranges & fruit cocktail
1 red (to give it color) apple, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 banana, slice
2 heaping Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 C water
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
whipped cream (opt)

1. Cut up and drain fruit but SAVE THE PINEAPPLE JUICE.
2. Cook water, cornstarch, and pineapple juice together until thick. Add sugar and lemon juice. Pour mixture over fruit (yes, while hot). Cool in fridge. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

Quesadillas

Our family LOVES Quesadillas. We eat them for lunch and dinner and for a simple snack. Often I just pull out everything that can be put in the quesadillas and then everyone gets to pick and choose. Sometimes I just do corn tortillas, but when I do flour I usually do those on a griddle that I don't consider a GF appliance and then I do the corn ones on a pan on the stove. It gets them all done faster and we can enjoy them while they are warm.

Quesadillas
Cheese
Tortillas
Filling*

If I am in a hurry I just put the cheese & filling between the tortillas and microwave for about 30 seconds. If I have more time (or energy) I will cook them in a pan. For our mixed GF/non-GF family I usually cook the flour tortillas on a griddle and the corn tortillas in a pan on the stove. That way everyone's gets done about the same time.

*Some of our favorite fillings to add to the cheese are:
Pepperoni
Pizza (pepperoni and any other pizza toppings)
Broccoli
Mixed veggies
Tomato & basil (fresh is best but canned & dried are good too)
Diced Chicken & basil
Black beans & salsa (sometimes we add corn)

These are our most common, but basically whatever is in the fridge has been made into quesadillas.

Black Bean Salsa

Tonight for dinner we are having Black Bean Salsa and Mexi-Ranch Chicken Patties. I got my Black Bean Salsa recipe from my friend, Heather, a few years ago and was a family favorite before we had to deal with being gluten-free, luckily it was naturally so. I have taken it to many different gatherings and have had raves about it. I have adapted it at times when fresh ingredients were not on hand and while the fresh ingredients are ideal, the substitute version is also really good. Here is the Black Bean Salsa recipe, both in its pure form and with the adaptations. The photo of the salsa is with all fresh ingredients.


Black Bean Salsa

2 cans of black beans
1 can corn
3 large tomatoes or 2 cans petite diced*
1 medium onion chopped**
4 Tbsp. cilantro (4 tsp dried)
1 Avocado, chopped (optional)
3-4 T lime juice
2 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar or white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Tostitos Scoops or any other corn chip

Drain and rinse bean, corn, & tomatoes if using canned. Place in a large bowl with onion, avocado and cilantro. In a small bowl mix lime juice, olive oil,vinegar, salt & pepper. Toss dressing over vegetables. Chill before serving. Serve with Scoops or other corn chip.

*For extra kick use Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
**In a pinch you can use about 1/3 C dried minced onions

Isn't it pretty, the avocado really makes it pop, but I didn't have any today.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Tonight we tried a new recipe from Taste of Home. It was so delicious I just had to share.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

6 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 C butter, cubed
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
6 bacon strips, cooked & crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Scrub and pierce sweet potatoes. Bake at 375-degrees for 1-1/4 hours or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut a thin slice off the top of each potato and discard. Scoop out the pulp, leaving thin shells. In a large bowl, mash the pulp with butter. Stir in the cheese, bacon, salt & pepper. Spoon into potato shells. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 servings.

Roasted Veggies

I must give credit to my friend Valerie who first introduced me to this recipe. It one of my favorite fall dishes. And since we have so much zucchini in our garden I had to make it!

Roasted Veggies
Olive Oil
1 Medium onion,
3-4 Red Potatoes,
2 zucchini (store bought size),
1 Sweet Potato or yam,
1 pkg Onion Soup mix OR sprinkle with season salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and any other seasoning you like.

On a large cookie sheet cover bottom with oil. Dice all the veggies so they are a large bite size and put on pan and stir. Season veggies either with the soup mix or just sprinkle the veggies with the seasons listed above.

Place in a 425-degree oven for 45 minutes. ENJOY!

After

BBQ Chicken & Scalloped Potatoes

Last night I made a wonderfully delicious dinner -- so proud of me. Not the usual Tacos. I did BBQ ribs in my Crock-Pot.and then Gluten-free, dairy-free scalloped potatoes. Basically, I used 2 good recipes for Scalloped Potato and sort of combined them and then substituted Chicken broth and Cornstarch for the Milk & flour, I even got to use my fresh thyme from my herb garden. Here is the recipe:


Scalloped Potatoes (printer friendly)

2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped fine
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4- 1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/2 C chicken broth, divided.
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes (5 med), sliced 1/8" thick

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400-degrees. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 2 C chicken broth and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and remaining 1/2 C chicken broth and slowly pour into sauce while stirring. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
2. Place 1/2 of the sliced potatoes in a casserole pan and pour 1/2 the sauce over the top. Repeat with remaining potatoes and sauce.
3. Bake in oven for 1 hour. Enjoy!