Creamy Potato Gratin

Creamy Potato Gratin - Guaranteed to be everyone's favorite side dish, for dinners or holidays! So amazingly rich, creamy, buttery and completely addictive!

Guaranteed to be everyone’s favorite side dish, for dinners or holidays! So amazingly rich, creamy, buttery and completely addictive!

Creamy Potato Gratin - Guaranteed to be everyone's favorite side dish, for dinners or holidays! So amazingly rich, creamy, buttery and completely addictive!

Is it too early to be discussing Easter recipes? Because I’ve been planning Easter ever since Christmas was over.

I mean, hey, I’ll take any excuse to make a potato gratin.

No, wait. I’ll take any excuse to make the cheesiest, creamiest, richest potato gratin.

It’s not every day that we get to have the most epic side dish, right? You can, of course, serve this up for a special dinner but when it comes to the holidays, you have every right to slap on 2-3 servings right on your plate guilt-free.

Creamy Potato Gratin - Guaranteed to be everyone's favorite side dish, for dinners or holidays! So amazingly rich, creamy, buttery and completely addictive!

That is, when no one else is looking so it doesn’t look like you’re hoarding all the potatoes. You don’t want to be that guest.

No, but really, what I really love about this recipe is that it is a thousand times easier than a traditional gratin, and it doesn’t require a mandoline either.

Nope, no death-by-mandoline here, yet you still get the addictive creamy, buttery richness.

It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Creamy Potato Gratin

Guaranteed to be everyone’s favorite side dish, for dinners or holidays! So amazingly rich, creamy, buttery and completely addictive!

20 minutes1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, dived
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:

  1. Place potatoes in a large stockpot or Dutch oven; cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well; set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
  3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  4. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup white cheddar cheese and mustard. Stir in potatoes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  6. Spread potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake until potatoes are tender and mixture has thickened, about 35-40 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 cups white cheddar cheese. Place into oven and broil until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
  8. Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.

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The Best Fashion Influencers in Every Age Group

In the constantly growing landscape of fashion bloggers, it’s an unfortunate fact that the younger crowd significantly outnumbers ladies of a certain age. It seems everywhere you look, it’s nothing but beautiful 20-somethings showing off their style. There are certainly more of them, but that doesn’t make them any more relevant or valuable than their more mature counterparts. Fashion is universal, after all.

The segment of bloggers in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond may be small, but it’s mighty. We aim to enlighten you, dear reader, about the ladies of all ages who are killing the fashion-blogging game at the moment—from the 25-year-old whippersnappers to the 65-year-olds who’ve been at it for a good while longer. Prepare to be majorly inspired by all the women showing off their unique (and, frankly, fun) looks. Keep scrolling to meet the best fashion bloggers of every age group.

This post was published at an earlier date and has been updated by Judith Jones.

8 Hacks to Keep Your White Sneakers Clean

It’s beyond clear at this point that fashion girls are obsessed with white sneakers. But one infrequently discussed aspect of these trendy wardrobe staples is just how to clean white sneakers and keep them so fresh. After all, one quick trip to the coffee shop could result in a number of mud-, dirt-, or oil-centric disasters. Yet celebrities, bloggers, fashion editors, and everyone in between always seem to sport only the whitest of white sneaks. How do they clean their white shoes to keep them in such pristine condition? We did a bit of digging to come up with some super-helpful tricks to keep those babies sparkling long after you’ve made the initial purchase. While some of these hacks are straightforward, like cleaning the white laces in warm water, some of the other tips you’ll find here genuinely surprised us, too. How to (really) clean your white sneakers is no longer a mystery.

It’s as simple as that. If you see a little scratch or smudge on your spankin’-new white sneaks, just take out your favorite white nail polish and do a little touch-up. It works wonders.
There are a ton of handy little cleaning tools out there to help with this. We prefer Mr. Clean wipes and Magic Erasers, but if you don’t have anything like that on hand, take a washrag and dip it in vinegar from your pantry. Rub gently to remove small stains. VoilĂ !
Use an old toothbrush, warm water, and gentle soap if your shoes have some dirt spots in hard-to-reach places. Scrub gently!
You might be tempted to just toss your white laces in the washing machine—tsk-tsk! Instead, hand-wash them in warm water with gentle soap and let them air-dry.
Your shoes might be a bit damp after you’re done cleaning them; to help them dry faster, put crumpled-up paper towels inside the shoes. They’ll absorb excess moisture and help the shoes dry more rapidly.
Let’s say you stepped in an oil slick crossing the street, or perhaps you dropped a big greasy french fry on your new sneakers (it happens to the best of us). When you get home, use your gentlest shampoo, warm water, and a toothbrush or rag to gently wipe at the oil smudge. It should come right out!
Don’t leave your white sneakers outside! They’re already getting enough UV exposure as it is, which can lead to fading and unwanted discoloration. Treat them well and store them in a cool, dark place when they’re not being worn.
To the crux of the issue: Can you use bleach on white sneakers? Yes, you can, but you have to dilute it. Most shoe-care guides suggest mixing one part bleach to five parts water;any more than that and you risk turning your white fabrics a weird yellow tone. Dip your toothbrush in the diluted bleach solution and scrub the shoes gently. Rinse with warm water when you’re finished.

With these hacks in your back pocket, go forth fearlessly in your white sneakers. Because now you’ll always know how to keep them in mint condition.

This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

11 Lesser-Known Skincare Brands You Should Buy If You Like Drunk Elephant

So you’re a fan of Drunk Elephant. Cool, same. There’s a lot to dig about the Sephora best-selling skincare brand: its nontoxic formulas packed with effective ingredients like virgin marula oil and superfruit extracts; its quirky-chic packaging; and of course its amazing brand name. (Fun fact about that, by the way: Did you know the founder, Tiffany Masterson, came up with the name Drunk Elephant after seeing a YouTube video of elephants eating marula fruit and getting tipsy off of it? Adorable.)

Drunk Elephant does wonders for a lot of people’s skin. (Babyfacial? Iconic.) But sometimes it can be fun, necessary, or both to mix up your skincare routine. Here, we’d like to introduce you to a few lesser-known skincare brands that are similar to Drunk Elephant in that they’re nontoxic, effective, and aesthetically pleasing—but maybe the products are a little more affordable or gentler or have something else about their formulas that you might want to explore. Keep scrolling for 11 brands worth checking out if you like Drunk Elephant.

Next: Celebs over 40 swear by these holy-grail skincare products. Opening Image: Youth to the People

5 Trends to Not Wear With Jeans

We love jeans. Jeans are our friends. They give us endless outfit ideas when our inspiration is running dry, and they even translate to our wardrobes year-round. They’re a true-blue closet staple. However, there are certain trends that jeans just don’t jive with as well as others. Chalk it up to its laid-back associations, but sometimes denim just doesn’t do the trick, which is why it’s helpful to consider the full range of options in front of you.

This spring, you may have a trend or two (or seven) that you’re eyeballing. However, investing in a trend is only the first step because as we all know, the hardest part is tackling the styling aspect. This is where today’s denim focus comes into play. While reaching for the closest pair of crop-flare jeans may feel like the best option when test-driving your trend of choice, sometimes it’s worth brainstorming a bit further. Ahead, we’ve highlighted a small pool of pieces that look wonderful paired with non-denim accouterments. Scroll down to find out what they are and to shop the trends.

Ahead, discover the worst shoes to wear with jeans.

8 Who What Wear Editors on the Outfits That Got Us Hired

Landing an interview for your dream job (particularly one in fashion) is enough to make even the most confident, fashion-forward among us question every item in our wardrobe. Do I own work-appropriate shoes? Are my tops professional enough? Why don’t I own a pair of pants that aren’t jeans? Even we fashion editors at Who What Wear admit to having had pre-interview outfit nerves. Fashion jobs, in particular, often carry the notion that you need to be fashionable and trendy without trying too hard.

We believe that feeling comfortable equals feeling confident, and there are certain key items that can help you feel strong and empowered and keep the focus on your shining skills, talent, and personality. There’s certainly no harm in adding a touch of your personal style so you feel like your best self. Anna Wintour advised in a recent interview, “Everyone should remember, whether they’re interviewing at Vogue, or indeed anywhere, that we’re not hiring your wardrobe. Your wardrobe is not going to be doing the job for you—it’s who you are.”

So I turned to my fellow Who What Wear editors and asked them to share what they wore to their interviews and the thought processes behind them. Scroll below to see what we consider to be a strong fashion-interview outfit formula, and see the looks that got us hired.

Up next, the It-girl way to wear jeans to the office.