Scalloped Potatoes
What are scalloped Potatoes?
Well, if you haven’t tried scalloped potatoes, you really should. They are a luscious, rich and creamy potato side dish consisting of thinly sliced potatoes layered and blanketed in a flavorful cream sauce. The word scallop refers to how the potatoes are sliced (thin and uniform). Scalloped potatoes are the perfect side dish for your holiday table as well as a comforting dish for a weeknight dinner.
Scalloped potatoes are not a difficult dish to make, they do however take a bit of time and effort. To make things easier for myself, I use a mandolin to slice the potatoes. That way I get consistency in the thickness of the slice which leads to an even cooking. The sauce is what really makes the dish special.
The sauce starts like any basic bechamel sauce, with butter, flour and milk. Those are the basic ingredients for a bechamel sauce that you would traditionally see in dishes like lasagna or moussaka. What makes this bechamel sauce even better is the addition of a few aromatics. I like to add green onion and finely minced garlic (and a pinch of salt) to add flavor to an otherwise basic cream sauce. You can omit the aromatics if you prefer, but I feel that it adds a boost of flavor to the potatoes.
The secret to a great bechamel sauce is to make sure you actually “cook” the flour. If you don’t (and it doesn’t take long) your sauce will have a floury taste.
If you are looking for some great potato side dish recipes then here are a few more of mine:
The Best Classic Potato Salad Ever
What are the Ingredients for Scalloped Potatoes?
- Potatoes: you can use any potato variety you like. I find that Yukon Gold potatoes or other thin skin potatoes tend not to break apart as easily as Russet potatoes. The bonus with a thin skin variety is that peeling them is completely optional. A good wash and you’re good to go.
- Onions: In this recipe I use two types of onions, green onions (scallions) and a white onion. The onion boosts the flavor so I recommend using at least one if not both types.
- Bechamel (Cream Sauce): This is a relatively quick and easy sauce made of butter, flour and milk or cream. I recommend bumping up the flavor with green onions and garlic (but of course, optional).
- Seasoning: Salt and pepper go a long way in this recipe, so don’t forget it. I like to season each layer as I assemble the potatoes.
What is the Method for making Scalloped Potatoes?:
Although making scalloped potatoes is fairly simple, it does take a bit of time and effort.
- Wash, dry and peel (optional for thin skinned potatoes) and thinly slice the potatoes and white onion (I recommend using a mandolin)
- Make the sauce. Make sure to add the flavor enhancers and season.
- Assemble the casserole in layers. Alternate potato, onion, sauce and repeat, ending with a layer of sauce. Remember to season each layer with salt and pepper.
- Bake (cover for the first half of the baking, then uncover for the second half)
- Broil to get a golden top (optional)
- Rest for 15 minutes to set the sauce a bit.
Make your scalloped potatoes into Au Gratin (with cheese):
Potatoes Au Gratin are simply scalloped potatoes with Cheese, more specifically a cheese sauce. Grated cheese is added to the bechamel to make a rich and creamy cheese sauce. If I add cheese I prefer to add something very flavorful like Gruyere. If gryere is not available you can substitue Swiss which also has a nice flavor. You can use whatever cheese you like or have on hand just make sure that you grate it to ensure that it melts into the sauce.
Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 large casserole dish *a medium-large foil pan works well also
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup diced green onions (green part only)
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups milk * I prefer whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock * optional If you like a thinner sauce
- 3 lbs potatoes, washed, peeled and thinly sliced about ⅕" thick I use a mandolin
- 1 large onion, sliced ⅕" thick
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉
For the Sauce:
- In a saucepan on the stovetop, melt the butter then add the green onions and garlic and cook for a minute.
- Add the flour and combine, making a roux. Cook the roux for 1-2 minutes stirring the entire time.
- Reduce the heat to low then add the liquids (milk, cream, and broth if using it – you can combine it all together, then add to the roux) whisking to combine. It will become very thick at first, keep adding the liquid until the sauce is smooth. Let the sauce cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
To Assemble the Scalloped Potatoes:
- Spray a 9×13" baking dish (or foil pan) with non-stick spray (or butter it).
- Spoon about ¼ cup of the sauce on the bottom of the pan and spread it around with a spatula.
- Spread about ⅓ of the sliced potatoes in an even layer on the bottom of the pan, overlapping and making one or two layers of potato, then season the layer with salt and pepper. Layer a few rings of onion on top, then pour about ⅓ of the cream sauce over the potatoes and onions. Repeat the layers two more times ending with the sauce. Cover
- Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and tender (test with a knife inserted). Depending on the thickness of your slices they could take additional time.
- Once the potatoes are done, turn the oven to broil to brown the top. This will take no more than 3 or 4 minutes so watch them carefully so they do not burn on top.
- Remove from the oven and let the potatoes sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. This will allow the sauce to set a bit
Notes
