Potato Au Gratin Recipe with Chorizo, Fennel & Cilantro

This simple Potato Au Gratin recipe is not only filling but uses a mixture of shredded potatoes, all-purpose seasonings, spicy chorizo, and fresh cilantro. Sound good? Find the recipe for our Chorizo + Potato Au Gratin with Fennel & Cilantro down below!

Chorizo + Potato Au Gratin with Fennel & Cilantro

My mom would feel right at home in our kitchen; it’s spacious, orderly, and clean. My mom’s housekeeping game was on fleek! And a well-maintained kitchen was the start to any great meal. She would especially appreciate our pantry; we keep it stocked with lots of the staples she loved using. One of those staples, and a mainstay in my pantry, is McCormick products. McCormick recently came out with new seasonings and spice blends, which she would love. So, in many ways, this post is my way of paying homage to her memory and her love of good, easy to prepare delicious home cooking. Mom’s cooking was without a doubt my culinary bedrock.

There’s an old adage which goes something like this, “Good stuff in, good stuff out.” And although I didn’t realize it at the time, my mom was giving me the 411 regarding the kitchen game when I was growing up. Watching her put together meal, after delicious meal featuring wonderful food just about every day of the week for decades was something I took for granted.  I didn’t realize what an accomplishment this was until I had a family of my own.  She made it look easy, and some of the best cooks I know are the same way. Humble but great at what they do and how they do it. Food was their weapon of choice, and the kitchen was their chosen battlefield, and they slayed!

So, hats off to all of those excellent home cooks who have inspired so many foodies.

My mom had a process, she used tried and true recipes she learned from years of trial and error but more importantly it was all about good ingredients. At times she improvised and came up with something on the fly. And that’s what good cooks do, right? Even though we had a big family, my mom and dad raised all eight of us with the best they could offer. At times things were tight, and my mom had to get creative. However, she never skipped on certain things and quality ingredients was an area where she took no shortcuts. We were blessed in so many ways, and it is my mom whom I thank for sparking my interest in cooking and showing me the ropes by her example. Throughout all those years there were specific brands my mom depended on faithfully to pull off culinary feats of perfection, and I don’t remember my mom using any other seasoning other than McCormick. True story.

Aside from fresh and wholesome ingredients, my mom reached for McCormick seasonings every time.

A Memory: I remember my mom sending my dad to the grocery store with a list and if he came back with some other brand and it was not McCormick. Guess who had to return to the store and get it right? My mama didn’t play with her cooking.

Fast forward to the here and now and I am in so many ways the epitome of her cooking style. I have the same high standards, I am a constant gardener, and my spice pantry is stocked with McCormick seasonings. Recently I created our easy Chorizo + Potato Au Gratin with Fennel & Cilantro. It may sound like a complicated creation, but really it’s not. I made it on the fly. And it isn’t a difficult dish to pull off. Trust on this one. Do you or do you know someone who loves improvising in the kitchen? Then you’ll love what McCormick has gone and done with their new line of spice blend seasoning combinations. They’ll have you saying, McCormick, welcome home.

This is a great recipe and it’s a welcomed addition to either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Pair it with eggs and toast for an unforgettable and simple weekend breakfast. Serve it with a fresh garden salad and lunch is served. And, it makes a wonderful side piece served with your favorite chared and succulent steak. And like my mom was fond of saying, “If you’re going to do something you might as well do it right.” I hear you, Mom, and that’s why the new McCormick Spice Blends are such a great addition to anyone’s spice cabinet. For this recipe, I used McCormick Garlic, Herb, Black Pepper & Sea Salt All-Purpose Seasoning for this deliciously fun and off the beaten track recipe. I love the new McCormick seasoning because they are versatile, have transparent ingredients, and allow for “recipe free cooking” and “cooking as performance art.” Some of our best cooking occurs in the moment, reaching for what’s available.

A trio of shaved Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano cheeses help make this dish shine deliciously.

For those moments when you don’t have a recipe in mind and are just improvising and using the ingredients, you have on hand. This is exactly how this recipe came about; I used what was in our garden, our pantry, and refrigerator. It wasn’t planned nor will you find this recipe online, in a magazine and it wasn’t a recipe handed down to me by my mom. It was just me in my element and doing what I love doing. Shaking a lil’ this and adding a lil’ that. Trying new combinations. In the moment. Cooking up a storm.

I used a fennel, fennel fronds, and lots of chopped cilantro to brighten up this recipe a bit. Fresh herbs are everything!

Having dependable seasonings like McCormick allows me to “wing it, wing it real good!”

This recipe was a lot of fun, I tucked portions of chorizo in-between the layers of au gratin potatoes. It is the perfect example of meat and potatoes but in a totally unexpected way. You’re looking at some next level comfort food right here! And the slightly spicy chorizo balances well with the heartiness of the potatoes, as well as the cream and fragrant cheeses. This one is definitely a keeper, and the cool thing is you can omit the chorizo if a meatless meal is more to your liking. I also love the versatility of potatoes; we always keep a bag on hand because they’re a family favorite.

The key to these creamy and cheesy au gratin potatoes is definitely the heavy whipping cream. It is the magic maker. All right, are you ready to give this recipe a try? 1-2-3! GO!

Just visit your local Walmart and grab McCormick Garlic Herb, Black Pepper & Sea Salt All-Purpose Seasoning or any one of their new McCormick Blends. They are a great addition to what’s possible in the kitchen.

How to make Potato Au Gratin Recipe with Chorizo, Fennel & Cilantro:

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons McCormick Garlic Herb, Black Pepper & Sea Salt All Purpose Seasoning
• 5 Yukon Gold potatoes scrubbed and shredded
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 thin slices of butter, divided
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 1 small fennel bulb with fronds
• 1 cup of shaved Parmesan, Asiago and Romano cheese
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 package of your favorite chorizo
• 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped + 1/2 cup for topping
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil from brushing the pan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brush the large cupcake pan with olive oil, set aside.
3. Wash potatoes and leaving the skin on cut them into long wedges.
4. Quarter a medium-size sweet onion, do the same with the fennel bulb.
5. Remove the fennel fronds from the stalk and cut them into a fine dice. Remove the skin and the root end of the garlic cloves.
6. Using a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment shred the potatoes, onion, fennel bulb and garlic together. Remove the lid and transfer the mixture to a large bowl using a large slotted spoon leaving any liquid behind.
7. Add the finely diced fennel fronds, chopped cilantro, and shaved cheese mixture.
8. Shake on the McCormick Garlic Herb, Black Pepper & Sea Salt All Purpose Seasoning.
9. Using a large wooden spoon gently fold the ingredients together. Fill each section of the cupcake pan halfway with the potato mixture, add 2 ounces of chorizo and continue to fill each cupcake section.
10. Press the mixture down to add more until the potatoes are just over the rim. Don’t worry they will settle as they cook in the hot oven.
11. Pour heavy whipping cream into each section 3/4 full.
12. Top potatoes with more shaved cheese.
13. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
14. Remove from the oven and allow the Potato Au Gratin Recipe with Chorizo, Fennel & Cilantro to cool for 10-minutes.
15. Serve.

Thanks Mom for introducing me to the goodness of McCormick seasonings!

Be sure to pin this recipe on your Pinterest board for later: 

What are some of your favorite things to make with McCormick seasonings? Drop me a line below! 

Chorizo + Potato Au Gratin with Fennel & Cilantro

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Servings: 0

Author: This Worthey Life

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x4x5x

• Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons McCormick Garlic Herb Black Pepper & Sea Salt All Purpose Seasoning
• 5 Yukon Gold potatoes scrubbed and shredded.
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 thin slices of butter divided
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 1 small fennel bulb with fronds
• 1 cup of shaved Parmesan Asiago and Romano cheese
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 package of your favorite chorizo
• 3/4 cup cilantro chopped + 1/2 cup for topping
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil from brushing the pan

Instructions

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Brush the large cupcake pan with olive oil, set aside.
• Wash potatoes and leaving the skin on cut them into long wedges.
• Quarter a medium-size sweet onion, do the same with the fennel bulb.
• Remove the fennel fronds from the stalk and cut them into a fine dice. Remove the skin and the root end of the garlic cloves.
• Using a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment shred the potatoes, onion, fennel bulb and garlic together. Remove the lid and transfer the mixture to a large bowl using a large slotted spoon leaving any liquid behind.
• Add the finely diced fennel fronds, chopped cilantro, and shaved cheese mixture.
• Shake on the McCormick Garlic Herb, Black Pepper & Sea Salt All Purpose Seasoning.
• Using a large wooden spoon gently fold the ingredients together. Fill each section of the cupcake pan halfway with the potato mixture, add 2 ounces of chorizo and continue to fill each cupcake section.
• Press the mixture down to add more until the potatoes are just over the rim. Don't worry they will settle as they cook in the hot oven.
• Pour heavy whipping cream into each section 3/4 full.
• Top potatoes with more shaved cheese.
• Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow the Chorizo + Potato Au Gratin with Fennel & Cilantro to cool for 10-minutes.
• Serve.

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