1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 10- to 12-cup casserole dish with the butter. (Approximate sizes would be a rectangular 9 x 13-inch or an oval 10 x 15-inch. The dish can be ceramic or glass, and the sides should be from 2-3 inches high, though deeper will work as well, just not be as full-looking, which is OK.) Rub the cut sides of the garlic clove over the top and sides of the dish.

2. Place the garlic, half-and-half and cream in a large pot. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg (any proportion of half-and-half and cream can be used, even all of one or the other. These 4 cups make a very creamy gratin. You may use up to ½ cup less if you want.)

3. Peel a potato and slice into 1/16-inch-thick slices, either by hand or with a mandoline. Place the slices directly into the cold cream mixture. Peel and slice the next potato, add to the cream, and repeat with the remaining potatoes. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring almost constantly. Keep at a low simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in 1½ cups of the Parmesan.

4. Pour into the prepared dish, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup Parmesan over the top and place in the oven. Bake about 40 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and the top is a deep, golden crusty brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes to set. The gratin will still be warm an hour out of the oven, and can be kept ready to serve by placing in a gently warm oven.

Refrigerate leftovers and reheat in the oven or microwave to serve.

Great as a side dish, or as a main dish with salad on the side.

If you want to make less, cut the recipe in half and use an 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch square dish. You could also use a 9- to 10-inch diameter round dish. You can also make individual gratins in smaller dishes — you can see that it’s flexible!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and rub with garlic a casserole dish as instructed for the Classic Potato Gratin. Prepare the potato layer as instructed in the Classic recipe, and pour into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Set aside.

2. For the chard layer, begin by caramelizing the onions: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and stir well. Cook the onions to soften, stirring frequently. When the onions begin to brown, let them sit undisturbed for a minute at a time before stirring again. If they begin to stick, or to turn too dark, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan and stir. Continue to let sit for 1 minute or so before stirring, and continue until the onions are a thorough golden brown. A little more water can be added during this process if necessary. Spread onions over the potato layer and return the pan to the heat.

3. If using bacon, add to the pan and cook until slightly browned and beginning to crisp. While bacon is cooking, chop the chard.

Tip: Stack 3-4 leaves on top of each other and roll up lengthwise. Slice crosswise into ¼”-thick rounds, slicing the entire length of the leafy portion. Turn the knife ¼ turn and cut across the rounds into ¼” pieces. With the stems, thinly slice about 1/3 of the way down. Discard the remaining solid portion. You should have about 12 packed cups of chopped chard and stems.

4. Add chard to the bacon (if not using bacon, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pan before adding chard), and let cook until completely wilted, stirring frequently. Add the cream, salt and 1 cup Parmesan and stir well. Pour this mixture over the onions and spread evenly. Top with the remaining Parmesan. Bake 30-40 minutes until bubbly and browned on top.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes to set a bit before serving.