Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes

This post for my recipe for scalloped potatoes has been planned for weeks… actually about two months. I originally planned on including it in my Easter menu suggestions… but decided to wait for Derby Day.

Recently, in anticipation of coming up with menu items for Kentucky Derby Day… I‘ve tried numerous scalloped potato recipes. All of them didn’t pass the “Goldilocks Test”… they were either bland.. or the sauce wasn’t really a sauce .. it ended up into a cottage cheesy mess… some were just way to rich…and so it went…..

I honestly don’t know why I did that. I have a recipe that I love… and have made for years. In fact, it was one of those recipes “by eye”…(don’t you love those?... ). I just know how many potatoes I need for each size baking dish I own… and just how much sauce to make.

So much like the recipe I recently posted for macaroni and cheese… I made my scalloped potatoes and measured everything I did…. so the recipe below is the real deal.

General Directions

In a nutshell… you need thinly sliced potatoes, thinly sliced onions, fresh chopped parsley and snipped chives… you start off making a white sauce and add Gruyere or Swiss cheese to it… season it with a little thyme, salt, pepper and cayenne (cayenne is optional)… layer it in a baking dish… in the oven it goes… and in Emeril’s words.. BAM!... it’s done.

Low Fat Ingredient Suggestions

Now I made mine with margarine not butter… and I made my white sauce with skim milk… you can use butter and whole milk if you prefer… but you do shave a lot of fat and calories off by using margarine and skim milk… and I doubt anyone would notice the difference.

Quick Notes

You may have a little sauce leftover... I wouldn't over-fill the casserole with sauce...otherwise it will run all over... if you do decide to use it all... use a bigger baking dish.

Servings and Baking Dish Sizes

The recipe below is for 4 servings… you can use two medium size au gratin dishes like I did.. or use one bigger dish… a 2 qt should be plenty big enough… I would recommend you use a rectangular dish as opposed to a round one… everything bakes better because the potatoes aren’t as deep… and the top is better… more surface area.

I hope you enjoy my recipe!



Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

All you need:

4 medium potatoes (Russet work well), sliced thin
1 medium onion, sliced thin
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
4 tablespoons margarine or butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups grated Gruyere or shredded Swiss cheese
½ teaspoon thyme
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Fresh chives, snipped
Cayenne (optional)

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, melt the margarine over medium heat.

Add the flour and mix to form a paste.

Add about ½ the milk into the saucepan, whisking vigourously to remove any lumps.

When the sauce is smooth, add the remainder of the milk and continue to whisk.

When sauce begins to thicken, add the cheese.

Stir until sauce is to desired thickness. Remove from heat.

Spray your baking dish with cooking oil spray (butter flavor preferred).



Layer 1 layer of potatoes in the dish.

Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.






Sprinkle with parsley.






Layer the onions over the potatoes.

Snip some chives over the potatoes.






Layer spoonfuls of the sauce over the potatoes. DO NOT completely cover the potatoes with sauce (see picture)… the sauce will expand during baking.




Layer another layer of potatoes on top of the sauce.

Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Sprinkle with parsley.

Cover with sauce (a thin layer is sufficient).

Sprinkle with cayenne pepper (optional).

Snip some chives over the potatoes.



Place baking dish on a cookie sheet (I cover the cookie sheet with foil for easy clean-up if the casserole runs over).






Cover the whole top with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and top begins to brown.

Serves 4.