"This Thanksgiving, my heart swells with anticipation as I'm on the brink of becoming a dad—my wife is 39 weeks pregnant! Beyond the obvious joy, the past year has shown us the tight bond in the Hamptons community. The love and support we've received has been overwhelming! The Hamptons will always be a summer attraction, but as any local would attend, we are not just a beach town anymore!

With our families a plane ride away (Latvia for her, Kansas City for me), the local embrace means even more. We love where we live and are confident about raising our son in this nurturing community. This holiday, I'm grateful for family, impending parenthood, and the extended family we've found in the Hamptons, and nothing says home wherever you are like the comfort of warm, cheesy potatoes! Cheers to love, family, and the warmth around us." - Kyle

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 6 servings

• 3ounces finely grated Gruyère or comté cheese Kyle says gruyere!

• 2ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Must be the good stuff. No cheap “domestic” parm

• 2cups heavy cream

• 2medium cloves garlic, minced

• 1tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped You can go over here. The thyme marries wonderfully with the cheesey, garlic, cream

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 4 to 4½pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick on a mandoline slicer (7 to 8 medium, see note) Use gloves or “fingers beware”

• 2tablespoons unsalted butter

PREPARATION

Step 1

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Transfer ⅓ of cheese mixture to a separate bowl and set aside. Add cream, garlic and thyme to cheese mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add potato slices and toss with your hands until every slice is coated with cream mixture, making sure to separate any slices that are sticking together to get the cream mixture in between them.

Step 2

Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter. Pick up a handful of potatoes, organizing them into a neat stack, and lay them in the casserole dish with their edges aligned vertically. Continue placing potatoes in the dish, working around the perimeter and into the center until all the potatoes have been added. The potatoes should be very tightly packed. If necessary, slice an additional potato, coat with cream mixture, and add to casserole. Pour the excess cream/cheese mixture evenly over the potatoes until the mixture comes halfway up the sides of the casserole. You may not need all the excess liquid.

Step 3

Cover dish tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the top is pale golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and return to oven. Bake until deep golden brown and crisp on top, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven, let rest for a few minutes, and serve.

TIP

• Because of variation in the shape of potatoes, the amount of potato that will fit into a single casserole dish varies. Longer, thinner potatoes will fill a dish more than shorter, rounder potatoes. When purchasing potatoes, buy a few extra in order to fill the dish if necessary. Depending on exact shape and size of potatoes and casserole dish, you may not need all of the cream mixture.