If you’d like a little more character without straying from the spirit of the recipe, you can swap in vegetable broth for a meatless version or use a light beef broth for a deeper flavor. For an herb note, you can tuck a sprig or two of fresh thyme or rosemary around the edges of the dish before baking; just remember that technically adds another ingredient, so I think of it as optional rather than part of the base recipe. If you’re cooking for a crowd, use two glass dishes rather than piling the potatoes higher—keeping that single layer is what gives you the browned tops and creamy centers. For extra browning, you can slide the dish under the broiler for a minute or two at the end, watching closely so the tops don’t scorch. Leftovers reheat well in a covered skillet over low heat with a spoonful of water or broth, or you can chop them and crisp them in a pan for an easy country-style hash.
