bacon potato gratin

ingredients:
* slice 2 or 3 russet potatoes verrry thin (like, 1/8"-1/16" thick)
* grate about a cup & a half of sharp cheddar cheese
* crumble 7 or 8 slices of cooked bacon
* mince 2 garlic cloves and about 1/4 cup yellow onion
* one cup chicken stock
* salt and pepper

procedure:
* spray-oil a baking dish or casserole dish. (i used a pyrex baking dish that was about 7"x10".)
* layer the potatoes, cheese, bacon, and the garlic and onion mixture until the dish is full. finish with the cheese.
* pour the chicken stock over the top, and add some salt and pepper.
* cook at 350 degrees for about 60-75 minutes, covering the dish with foil for about half the time it's in the oven.

the thing that was so great about this was that the flavors were so well balanced. this wasn't too cheesy or too bacony. (though is that even possible?) the chicken stock added just enough liquid for the potatoes to cook without getting too soggy. the onions and garlic offset the sharpness of the cheese. it was perfect. we had it for dinner, as our main course, but it could have easily been a side dish, too.