Party Potato Pave Bites with Cheese Sauce -- The Potato Salad That Earned Its Place

The Fourth of July was Wednesday and we went to Gary and Denise's yard again for the city fireworks, same as last year, same as every year, same folding chairs and same scratch lemonade and same Tyler making his authoritative statement about these being the best fireworks in Utah County. This year Ethan sat next to Tyler and the two of them had a conversation about the technical attributes of the fireworks that I could hear fragments of across the lawn: trajectory, burst diameter, chemical composition of the color effects. Ethan is thirteen and this is exactly the kind of conversation he has now, technical and specific and slightly showing off for his uncle, who is showing off back, and I find this very specifically delightful.

I made the traditional potato salad for the ward block party on Tuesday: eight pounds of red potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, yellow mustard, mayonnaise, the non-negotiable formula that has been received with enthusiasm at every ward event for twelve years. The recipe is not in the Freezer Meal Mom document yet because I have been thinking of it as too simple. A woman at the library workshop last week specifically mentioned that the workshop had taught her the simple things are the most powerful things, that recipes that require twelve steps are not the point of feeding people. I am adding the potato salad to the document. She was right.

Noah asked Gary at the fireworks what the pioneers were celebrating. Gary said: they were celebrating making it here after a very hard journey. Noah said: is that why we have potato salad? Gary looked at Noah for a moment and then looked at me and then back at Noah and said: yes, Noah, that is exactly why we have potato salad. Noah nodded. He seems satisfied with this explanation and I see no reason to revise it.

After Noah’s very earnest explanation of why potato salad exists — and Gary’s completely straight-faced confirmation of it — I felt more committed than ever to honoring the potato in all its forms at these summer gatherings. The woman at the library workshop was right: the simple things are the most powerful, and potatoes, specifically, seem to carry some kind of cultural weight in this family that I am no longer going to underestimate. These Party Potato Pave Bites with Cheese Sauce are what I’m bringing to the next block party alongside the classic potato salad — because if we’re celebrating making it here after a very hard journey, we might as well celebrate thoroughly.

Party Potato Pave Bites with Cheese Sauce

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (plus chilling) | Servings: 24 bites

Ingredients

• 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin (1/8 inch) on a mandoline
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, for searing
• For the Cheese Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, thinly sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. Prep the pan. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with butter and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
2. Season the potatoes. In a large bowl, toss the thinly sliced potatoes with melted butter, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper until each slice is evenly coated.
3. Layer the pave. Arrange the potato slices in tight, even layers in the prepared pan, pressing down firmly after each layer. Continue until all potatoes are used and the pan is packed full. Press down one final time with your hands or the bottom of a flat measuring cup.
4. Bake covered. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
5. Press and chill. Remove from oven and place a second piece of parchment on top. Set a heavy pan or brick on top to compress the pave. Refrigerate with the weight on for at least 2 hours or overnight. This step is what gives the bites their clean, layered edges.
6. Cut and sear. Lift the pave out using the parchment overhang. Trim edges if desired and cut into 24 equal bite-sized squares. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the bites in batches, 2—3 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crispy on the outside.
7. Make the cheese sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the warmed milk and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 4—5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, Gruyère, Dijon, and smoked paprika until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper.
8. Serve. Arrange the seared potato bites on a platter, drizzle with warm cheese sauce, and scatter chives over the top. Serve with extra cheese sauce on the side for dipping.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 112 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 148mg