Best Ever Cheesy Potato Gratin Stacks (Muffin Tin)

“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something . . . I'm free to choose what that something is, and the something I've chosen is my faith. Now, my faith goes beyond theology and religion and requires considerable work and effort. My faith demands -- this is not optional -- my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”
~ Jimmy Carter

First things first. A great man passed from this Earth today. I wouldn't say we LOST him, because we HAD him for a hundred years, which is an amazing, amazing thing. He was a man whose words and actions embodied integrity, and faith, and courage, and love. 

He did everything he could, wherever he was, to make a difference in the world; to make it better. We commend him to his Maker with gratitude, and we move forward with the fine example he has set as our challenge and our guide. Go well, sir, and thank you.

And now on to the recipe. A few years ago, I made two attempts at cheesy potato gratin stacks in muffin tins. My first set turned out like tiny bowls of au gratin potatoes. My second set turned out better. Here is a photo of my third try, which was my best ever outcome!

I have several recipes for this dish, and so what I'm presenting is a combination approach. The recipe that mine is most like is probably this one.

What you will need
one muffin tin, preferably nonstick
oil, oil spray, or melted butter to coat tin
about 1.5 pounds (slightly less than 4 medium) potatoes, peeled, sliced thin, slices shaped/sized to fit tins (original recipe called for 2.5 pounds; WAY too much potato!)
2 tbsp butter, or a bit more
seasonings: 1/2 tsp salt, plus a couple of shakes each of celery salt, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika
(original recipe called for 1 tsp dried thyme and fresh thyme leaves for garnish, and 2 cloves of fresh garlic minced; we didn't have either)
1/2 cup cream - recipe recommends heavy cream (I used half and half, and 2/3 cup)
1 cup shredded or grated melting cheese (I used white cheddar, and more like a cup and a half; can use any melting cheese such as gruyere, Swiss, mozzarella)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Take your clean muffin tin.
Spray or wipe it with oil, oil spray, or melted butter.
Take your peeled potato pieces and stack them in neat stacks to about half-way up the tin.
Take your butter, cream, and seasonings, and mix them all together and  microwave them in 30-second bursts until butter is melted.
Drizzle about a half-tsp of the butter/cream mixture into each muffin tin cup, over the potato stacks.
Sprinkle HALF the cheese over the potato stacks.
Top with remaining potato slices. It's okay if they are stacked higher than the tin; they'll shrink down a bit during baking.
Drizzle about a tablespoon of the remaining butter/cream mixture into each muffin tin cup, over the potato stacks; use it all up.
Cover loosely with foil (cheese or potato will stick to any foil it touches, so I mean LOOSELY) and place in oven.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Remove from oven. Remove foil. Sprinkle remainder of shredded cheese on top.
Place back in oven without foil for about 15 to 20 minutes. 
Remove from oven and turn oven off. Potatoes should be soft and toppings should be golden and crispy.
Set aside to cool.
After 10 to 15 minutes, take a knife or spoon and slide it around the edges of each muffin tin cup, so they don't stick fast.
Serve. Top with any topping you might enjoy on any potato dish: a bit more shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream, etc.

So there you go! This was my best effort so far, and we were delighted with them. However, I made the mistake of letting them sit in the muffin tin until they were cool, and it was a real bugger to get those little suckers out. I lost some of the crispy stuff, which ticks me off, and had to soak the tin for a half-hour before I could even wash it.

I was reminded of what we referred to in latter years as "the great ice cube tray apple pie misadventure," that should have been SO EASY, ha ha ha! That's why I added the cautionary warning about freeing the potato stacks from their lairs before they cool.

Follow me for this and other recipes which will appear in my new book, Oven Mitts of Fury, Tales from a Methodist Kitchen!   ;-)  Ha ha ha!!!

Our soundtrack song is Eric Carmen, with Hungry Eyes, from Dirty Dancing.