Individual Potato Gratins

I saw Melissa d'Arabain make these individual potato gratins on the Food Network a couple of years ago and I thought "Oh, what a great idea!"  If it were just me I was cooking for I wouldn't bother making potatoes, as I mostly try to keep my carbs down.  However both my husband and son are meat and potatoes kind of eaters.  So I think that's why this dish appealed to me so much - it's not a whole pan of potatoes, instead you make only what you need.  Genius!

However, every time I make this my husband asks me "Why don't you just make a whole big pan of it?"  I don't really have a good answer for that, other than I don't want to have a ton of left overs.  Both my husband and son are not big on eating left overs, so I often find myself being the only one finishing off whatever left overs we may have, and potatoes are just not what I want to eat everyday for a week!  Throwing food out is not an option for me....I just won't do it.  So, for our little family of three I think this dish just makes sense.  Besides, aren't these little potato gratins the cutest things you've ever seen???

Individual Potato Gratins (by Melissa d’Arabian)

1-2 very large russet potato, thinly sliced
½+ cup grated swiss/gruyere cheese
1/4 of an onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (can substitute half & half)

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 6 muffin tin with vegetable spray. Layer potato slices, cheese, onions into each cup. Season with salt and pepper, and top each with 1-2 tbsp of heavy cream. Cover with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until potatoes are tender, removing foil halfway through cooking time.