Cooking Lesson #259: Easy Scalloped Potato Gratin

The Easter Collection

How you doin’? Spring is here and Easter is just around the corner. Easter, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, is a holiday for serious foodies. There are some dishes that are a must and call-out Easter to me. Scalloped Potatoes is one such dish that’s an easy classic, perfect for Easter or even just for a Sunday dinner.
 
In this side dish thinly sliced potatoes and onions are layered and covered in a decadent cream sauce and baked until tender, golden crisp and bubbly. Scalloped Potatoes were one of my favorite foods growing up, but I cheat and make them the easy way where the sauce comes together while baking.
 
There is nothing like a crispy topped creamy side of scalloped potatoes for true comfort.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  1 hour 20 minutes
Cool time:  10 minutes
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
5 thinly-sliced Yukon Gold potatoes, or more to fill the baking dish
1/2 cup thinly-sliced yellow onion strings
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshy ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup grated sharp white Cheddar cheese
3-1/2 cups whole milk
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400⁰ F.
2. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with 3 tablespoons of butter and set aside.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut at a 45-degree angle into 1/4-inch thick round slices.
4. Hold the sliced potatoes in cold water to rinse some of the starch off the potatoes.
5. Drain the potatoes well.
6. Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes and onion slices in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared dish.
7. Season the layer very generously with salt, black pepper and spices.
8. Top evenly with 1/3 of the Cheddar cheese.
9. Repeat this process two more times for a total of three layers of potatoes, except for the last third of the cheese.
10. Slowly and carefully pour in the milk, without upsetting the layers. The milk should almost, but not quite, cover the potatoes.
11. Top with the remaining Cheddar cheese and place the casserole dish on a sheet pan to catch any drips.
12. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until potatoes are tender and the top is well browned and bubbling, for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
13. Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes before serving.

ChefSecret:  For a richer scalloped gratin, top with butter dots, and/or use half ‘n half instead of the milk. More cheese can also be used if desired. I guess you can never have too much cheese.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “So you been eating hotdogs and McNuggets your whole life and now you don’t want to take the COVID-10 vaccine because you don’t know what’s in it?”
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