Ever wonder why this classic side dish is called “scalloped” potatoes? There are no fishy little scallops swimming around in the sauce, so what gives? The name actually dates back to the 1400s, when some genius cook decided to start layering a thinly-sliced main ingredient (which is usually a veggie) with some type of creamy sauce and then baking it until it is tender. This layering technique creates scalloped shapes (overlapping half-circles), and thus a name is born.

Scalloped potatoes are one of the most versatile side dishes you could ever hope for. They go with any type of meat, or they can be an excellent main dish for a vegetarian meal.

 

INGREDIENTS

5 lbs. Russet potatoes, sliced ⅛” thick (See Quick Tip)

2 cups onions, chopped small

6 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup butter (½ stick)

¼ cup flour

1½ cups vegetable broth

1½ cups heavy cream

1 Tbsp. salt

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp Slap Ya Mama® seasoning

8 oz. sour cream

3 cups Cheddar cheese, grated, divided

1 cup Pepper-Jack cheese, grated

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray 14×11½x2¼ baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Peel and slice potatoes approximately ⅛” thick. Place in a large bowl of cool water until ready to use.

Melt butter in a large frying pan over low heat, then add onions and garlic, sautéing for about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle ¼ cup flour over onion mixture. Stir and cook for a couple minutes.

Pour vegetable broth into pan a little at a time and stir, adding salt and pepper, seasoning and the heavy cream. Keep stirring constantly until thickened. Do not let it boil. After it has thickened, remove from heat and add 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Stir until it has melted.

Place a layer of the potato slices (one third) in baking dish, then make a layer using ⅓ of the sour cream, followed by a layer of ⅓ of the cheese sauce. Top with ⅓ of the Parmesan, ⅓ of the Pepper-Jack cheese and ⅓ of the cheddar cheese. Repeat these layers 3 times, ending with Cheddar cheese.

Cover with foil and place in oven. Bake for 1½-2 hours, until potatoes are fork-tender (See Quick Tip).

When the potatoes are almost done (15-20 minutes baking time remaining), remove foil and allow cheese to brown a little bit.

Remove from oven, let stand 15 minutes and enjoy.

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Quick Tip:  The main problem with scalloped potatoes is that it takes a long time to cook them, even if the potatoes are sliced uniformly-thin, using a mandolin. The solution is to put the potato slices into boiling water for 5 minutes before attempting to assemble this dish. Remove them from the water and drain very well and then pat-dry the potatoes with paper towels. This trick will take at least an hour off the cooking time required.

Recipe and image courtesy of Terri at Great Grub, Delicious Treats. Image courtesy of cafedelites.com.