How to Make Scalloped Potatoes

Did you know that every year enough potatoes are grown worldwide to cover a four-lane motorway circling the world six times? Interesting fact, isn’t it? Especially when you have in mind that potatoes are the world’s fourth food staple – after wheat, corn and rice.

So the conclusion is – everyone adores potatoes. This is why there are so many interesting recipes all over the world with the potato in it, as the main part of the dish.

But what to choose? It is really hard question. Still, this time we will be talking about one of the most popular recipes  – Scalloped potatoes with cheese, or as we like to call them “Tatoes and cheese by Grandma”.

Cheesy scalloped potatoes are very easy to make, so they are stress-free option when you don’t have so much time in the kitchen, but you want to make an impression. And you will. In the  next few lines it will be explained, step by step, how to prepare this delicious meal. No worries, you will enjoy it.

How to Start

This recipe for the scalloped potato includes a classic creamy sauce with an extra cheese on the top. So the first question is – how to slice the potatoes?

There are so many tools on the market, so the options are infinite. But let’s try to focus on the main one. A regular chef’s knife, a mandoline slicer and a food processor. Use a regular chef’s knife  to slice your potatoes in half lengthwise to create a flat, stable surface to work on. Then use your knife to cut the potatoes thinly. Of course, your knife must be sharp for this to work.

The second one is a mandoline slicer. It is actually a very useful tool that is perfect for any items that needs to be sliced thin, so it is a great option for your “must have” kitchen tools. The last one is a food processor. It is the fastest way for slicing potatoes. Just use a slicing blade and run your precious potatoes through the food processor.

Now, you are probably wondering why slicing is so important for this recipe? Well, mostly because the baking time of scalloped potatoes with cheese depends on it. When potatoes are thinly sliced, close to paper thin, it may be done after only 35-40 minutes. But if you cut potatoes on the thicker side, they may take 20-30 minutes longer. So the most important part is to adjust the cooking time according to the sliced style.

Ingredients to Choose

Selecting the appropriate cheese and potatoes is very important.

Besides being healthy, cheese is a very important ingredient for many meals as it binds everything together and makes serving much easier. But, when it comes to scalloped potatoes, there is only one choice, the Parmesan.

Parmesan is called The King of Cheeses, not for no reason. Parmesan cheeses are rich in umami flavors. They are generally used as a condiment for prepared foods, rather than being eaten by itself on a cheese plate. That is why Parmesan is so great partner for potatoes.

As for the type of potatoes, the Russet potatoes are a great choices for this delicious meal because they have the most starch and make the creamiest sauce.

What do You Need for Scalloped Potatoes With Cheese

Finally, it’s time to get our hands busy. Here is what you will need for the perfect Scalloped Potatoes that your whole family will fall in love after the first bite.

STEP ONE – PRE-HEAT THE OVEN

The first thing you need to do before you start preparing the meal, is to preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Then, you should lightly grease the baking dish and leave it like that.

STEP TWO – PREPARING THE POTATOES

Once you have all the potatoes peeled and washed, use a mandolin or a food processor to thinly slice your potatoes.

Then, pour all of the slices into a large mixing bowl. This will allow you to mix everything up much easier.

STEP THREE – ADDING THE CREAM

The next step is pouring the heavy cream over the potatoes and stirring everything so that it spreads over as equally as possible. You can also add some :

STEP FOUR – ADDING CHEESE AND MIXING

Then, it is time to sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the potatoes and cream, again, try to cover the whole mix as evenly as possible. This will allow the cheese, once it starts melting in the oven, to spread around potato slices and make the whole meal more compact and easier for serving.

STEP FIVE – ADDING GARLIC

Then, you should add garlic and make sure it is spread over the whole area so that once it starts letting the juices out, they spread out throughout the entire meal evenly.

STEP SIX – ADDING SPICES

Next step, adding salt and pepper and mixing it all up so that once again, all the flavors and scents are equally distributed through the whole meal.

STEP SEVEN – ADDING THE FINAL LAYER OF PARMESAN

And finally, adding the final layer of parmesan so that it melts nicely and creates that mouth watering crispy, golden brown layer of cheese that is the best part about scalloped potatoes.

STEP EIGHT – BAKING & SERVING

Finally, baking time! Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, until potatoes are tender and the crust on top is golden brown.

Once you are sure the potatoes are baked well (use a toothpick to see if it goes easily through potatoes. If it does, the meal is ready). You should serve the meal hot, and it should look like this when it’s out of the oven.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are short with time and need a quick meal that doesn’t involve too complicated procedures, or you want to surprise your guests with a healthy meal that smells great and tastes even better, the scalloped potatoes are a great choice.

However, the best time of the year to prepare this meal is during the winter due to healthy properties of the garlic. It will help you get through the infamous flu season untouched.

Now, have you tried preparing scalloped potatoes before? Do you have a different recipe? We would love to hear yours, or how you liked ours. Let us know by leaving a comment in the comments section.

Thanks for reading and bon appetit!