French Potato Casserole

This was a delicious potato casserole. It'd make a great side dish, though to be honest we also at it as a main course. This was in the March issue of Cooks Illustrated and I made it about a month ago, but am just now posting it. Tip: do not rinse the potatoes, as the starch is essential to the dish.

3 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion, halved and sliced thin

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cups beef broth

3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease casserole dish. Cook bacon in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until crisp, 10-13 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Remove and discard all but 1 Tbsp fat from pot. Return pot to medium heat and add onion and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and golden brown, about 25 minutes, adjusting heat and adding water 1 Tbsp at a time if onion or bottom of pot becomes too dark. Transfer onion to large bowl. Add bacon, thyme, remaining 1 tsp salt, and pepper. Add broths to now empty saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits.

Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to bowl with onion mixture and toss to combine. Transfer to prepared casserole dish and firmly press down mixture to compress into even layer. Carefully pour hot broth over top of potatoes. Dot surface evenly with butter. Bake, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and golden brown on edges and most of liquid has been absorbed, 45-55 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let stand for 20 minutes to fully absorb broth before cutting and serving.

This was so good on a cold day and had such rich, good flavor. It's definitely a keeper recipe, but then again, everything from Cooks Illustrated is a keeper!