I’ve been making scalloped potatoes for as long as I can remember, but they take an eon to bake. Often, even after baking for an hour the potatoes are still not tender. I guess there’s nothing worse than looking forward to a dish and ending up with something less than satisfying.
So, I’ve come up with a hack that really works and will make scalloped potatoes one of your go-to side-dish solutions. These potatoes are creamy, cheesy (Haha, don’t call me out 🤗) and delectably delicious. PROMISE. And...and they always work, even if you’re a lousy cook, you’ll turn out a perfect feast. Oh, my, and it is a feast!
The Secret
Par-cook the potato slices, that’s all there is to it. However, no matter which recipe you read (and almost every chef seems to have one), they’ll tell you to layer raw potatoes in this dish. They’re lying, and if you want to test my hypothesis, be my guest - you’ll be disappointed in the result if you layer raw potatoes. Really! Par-cooking, reduces the overall baking time, gets dinner on the table faster and always results in a sublimely tender serving of rich and creamy spuds.
Scalloped Potatoes
Sauce
This is a basic cheese sauce
_3 Tablespoons of flour
~3 Tablespoons of butter
~1 cup of cheese (cheddar)
~1 ½ cup of milk
~⅛ cup cream
~⅛ cup cream cheese
~ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
~1 teaspoon chili flakes
~Salt and pepper to taste
Potatoes
~5-6 medium potatoes
~3 ripe tomatoes
~½ cup of sharp cheese for dusting on top (cheddar)
Method
Sauce
_Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
_Remove from the stove and stir in flour, chili, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
_Add ⅙ th of the milk and stir to combine.
_Return to the heat.
_Over medium heat, stir the mixture and slowly add the balance of the milk.
_Make certain to stir continuously, ensuring that the mixture is lump free.
_Continue to stir until mixture thickens and begins to bubble
_Do not boil. Remove from the heat. Continue to stir off the heat for 1 min
_Add the cheese and cream cheese and stir to combine
_Add cream and stir to combine
_Set aside
Potatoes
_Slice potatoes into 3mm slices
_Add to a pot of cold salted water
_Bring to the boil and boil for 10 min until fork tender but not crumbly (watch this step, carefully)
_When tender, drain
_Layer into a lightly greased baking dish in single layers alternating with cheese sauce.
_Top with sliced tomatoes and dust with the reserved cheddar
_Bake in a medium-hot oven for about 45 min or until golden brown on top
_Serve with a green salad.
All images are mine, shot with an iPad and manipulated using Art Studio and Pic Collage
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