Artichoke, Potato, And Cheese Casserole

Total Time: 30 hrs 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 hrs Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4-1 1/2 teaspoon ground dried hot chili peppers (your choice)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne (or lessto taste)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 large artichokes (you may substitute 2 cans artichoke hearts,saving the juice)
• 2 large potatoes
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons finely diced fresh serrano chili peppers (or whatever chile pepper you like)
• 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese

Recipe

• 1 combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl.
• 2 place a large pot half filled with water over high heat.
• 3 add the artichokes and bring to a boil.
• 4 reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer just until the artichokes are tender, about 25 minutes.
• 5 remove the artichokes from the pot, reserving the cooking water, and allow them to cool.
• 6 the best way to do this is to turn them upside down on your drainboard-all the excess water will drain out and they'll cool quickly.
• 7 boil the potatoes in the water in which the artichokes were cooked just until they're tender, about 35 to 40 minutes, reserving 1 cup of the water (or if most of the cooking water has evaporated, add enough water to measure 1 cup).
• 8 peel the potatoes and dice enough into 1/2 inch cubes to measure 1 cup firmly packed: slice the remainder into 1/2 inch thick rounds.
• 9 set aside.
• 10 you may be tempted to eat all the artichokes yourself right now, but resist!
• 11 inside every leaf there's a small amount of pulp-the good part.
• 12 to get it out, with your thumb on the back of a teaspoon, scrape the pulp off the inside of the leaf, always scraping away from yourself.
• 13 reserve the pulp and discard the leaves.
• 14 scrape out and discard the choke, the fuzzy section underneath all the little leaves, and be sure to get it all.
• 15 peel the stems and dice the hearts and stems into bite-sized pieces.
• 16 arrange the artichoke stems, hearts, and pulp and the potato slices in a 9x13 inch casserole, alternating layers of potato and artichoke.
• 17 set aside.
• 18 preheat the oven to 350*f.
• 19 melt the butter in a 3-quart pot over high heat.
• 20 when the butter sizzles, add the onions, ginger, serrano peppers, and seasoning mix.
• 21 stir and cook, and when the onions begin to brown, about 6 minutes, add the diced potatoes.
• 22 reduce the heat to medium if necessary to prevent burning.
• 23 cook, stirring and mashing the potatoes constantly, until the mixture becomes thick, fairly dry, and brown, about 4 minutes.
• 24 add the reserved cooking water and cook, continuing to stir, for 6 minutes.
• 25 add the tamari and cook for 5 minutes, stirring vigorously and mashing the potatoes until they disintegrate.
• 26 the mixture should be a rich brown color.
• 27 stir in the heavy cream, bring to a boil, then add the mozzarella cheese.
• 28 stir and remove from the heat.
• 29 pour this sauce over the artichokes and potatoes in the casserole and top with the cheddar cheese.
• 30 bake until the cheese is a beautiful golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• 31 serve hot.