caramelized onion & potato gratin

i contemplated the potatoes & onions loitering on my kitchen counter, mentally assessing their meal potential. or more specifically, their "lowest common denominator" meal potential. what reasonably tasty & healthy meal could i make with these components that would require the fewest additional ingredients? pot pie? better with chicken, which i didn't have on hand. eureka! gratin!

gratins are deceptively delicious, in the sense that they seem complicated and carry well-developed flavors but can in fact be accomplished in relatively little time with relatively little skill. you can make them with raw veggies that bake slowly, lusciously, in a velvety sauce, or you can use cooked veggies, whip up a sauce and/or topping and toss the whole thing under the broiler for a few minutes. both are good. this time, i went with the latter option.

i sliced any onions in my bowl that were shrinking from their outer skins and threatening to go soft and caramelized them slowly, adding a bit of butter towards the end to prevent sticking and enhance their color and flavor.

i peeled, sliced, boiled and drained the potatoes.

i made a quick bechamel sauce, adding a bit of yogurt and grating in some colby-jack cheese at the end just because they were in my fridge waiting for a purpose.

i tumbled the potatoes out into a baking dish, topped with onions, poured the bechamel+ over the whole thing. shook some breadcrumbs over the top, sprinkled with paprika, salt and pepper, and slid the whole dish under the broiler til the top got brown and the edges got bubbly.

aside from needing more salt & pepper, the result was quite satisfying, as was the improvisation that led to it.