Tartiflette

Ahh the Tartiflette...
I hesitated for a long time before posting this recipe because I wasn't sure we could find the right cheese in the US. My mother confirmed that you can find it at Trader Joe's, so I'm now happily posting it! This is a recipe from the Savoye region in France (Alps) with Reblochon cheese, but that I tweaked because I like the way Raclette cheese melts.
Serves 5-6 people
Ingredients:
15 peeled cooked potatoes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 chopped onion
3-4 chopped cloves garlic
1 pack bacon with most of the fat cut off and chopped into pieces
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 lb Raclette cheese
some heavy cream
Directions:
1. In a deep sautée pan, cook the bacon pieces a few minutes until they start rendering.
2. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and brown a bit.
3. Add the white wine and cook for 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the cooked potatoes and with a masher, crush them and mix them well into the mixture and let cook for 5 minutes with the cover on. It doesn't need to be creamy mashed potatoes, its actually more tasty if there are chunks.

5. In a baking dish, layer half your potato mixture, then some heavy cream, and a layer of Raclette cheese. You can go heavy on the cheese, but I didn't have enough to do that, but do it!
6. Repeat the layers and pop into the oven for 40 minutes at 400F or more if the cheese isn't golden whan you look at it.

Serve with salad and be impressed at how good a cook you are!
The leftovers are even better, as always ;)
To make typical French salad dressing, there is nothing easier:
2 tbsp EVOO
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp mustard (optional)
some chopped shallots or baby onions (optional)
salt/pepper/parsley
then put this mixture at the bottom of the big salad bowl, salad on top, and then toss away and serve