Gratin

Gratins feature a crust of melted cheese and sometimes breadcrumbs. Serve with good bread and a salad for lunch or a light dinner.

We used a Microplane rasp (available at cookware shops) to grate the cheese in this recipe. You can use a box grater instead, but the same amount of cheese (1 ounce) will yield less volume. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

One of the great blue cheeses of the world, real English Stilton transforms potatoes au gratin into something extraordinary.

A rich and elegant special-occasion dish.

Haricots verts (small, thin French green beans) would also be nice as a side dish, but regular green beans would be fine, too.

Potato gratin is, of course, the traditional side dish with roast beef, and this version is just right for a special occasion. Adding flavor are typical steak house ingredients, like mushrooms, garlic and herbs. Place a baking sheet in the oven on the rack below the gratin to catch any liquids that may bubble over.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A spectacular, satisfying side dish that's a quick and easy partner for sausages, grilled steaks or roast lamb.

Leeks, shallots, onions and garlic combine to make a rich, delicious side dish.

Just four ingredients add up to a rich and delicious side dish. Once the potatoes are sliced, the gratin comes together quickly and then bakes unattended for about an hour and 15 minutes.

For a more elegant presentation, we cut out rounds from the gratin with a 4-inch cookie cutter. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Butternut is one of my favorite squashes. We often bake a small butternut squash (about 1 pound) at home; we split it lengthwise, seed it, score the flesh with a knife, sprinkle on a little salt, and bake, skin side down, for 1 hour in a 400-degree oven. Excellent in soup and pureed, butternut squash is always welcome at our table. This gratin is quite rich and should be reserved for special occasions, like Thanksgiving.

Carol Waddington of Cumberland, Rhode Island, writes: "I recently attended a function that was catered by Downcity Food + Cocktails of Providence, Rhode Island. The appetizer buffet was incredible — I especially enjoyed the scrumptious artichoke hors d'oeuvre." Serve this with crusty bread to soak up some of the creamy cooking juices.