Easy scalloped potatoes recipe (potato au gratin)
How to make the best and easy scalloped potatoes recipe with cheese; this is a simple side dish made of thinly sliced potatoes that are baked in a creamy sauce. A major difference between scalloped potatoes and Au gratin potatoes is that scalloped potatoes have no cheese added to the sauce whereas, au gratin potatoes have added cheese to the sauce.
Servings 3 people
Ingredients
- 8 large Yukon gold potatoes
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1½ cup Cheddar cheese
- 1½ cup whole milk
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel 8 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes and rinse them in water to get rid of sand and dirt.
- Slice the potatoes into thin sizes of about 1/8 ‘’ thick circle using a sharp knife. The thinner the slices the faster they cook. This can also be done with the use of a mandolin if you want to achieve an even and perfect shape.
- Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter to it and allow to melt, then go in with 1 cup chopped onions and sauté for 3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Also, go in with 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds; once the garlic is nice and fragrant, go in with 3 tablespoons of flour and keep whisking for 1 to 2 minutes to ensure there are no lumps.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk in 1½ cups of whole milk. Add gradually and stir to combine.
- Also, go in with 1 cup of beef or chicken broth and keep whisking until the sauce gradually thickens up.
- You can then season the sauce with 1/4 tsp chili pepper, ¼ tsp of black pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tsp of freshly chopped herbs. For the fresh herbs, you can use rosemary or thyme. Stir that to combine and let the sauce simmer and absorb the rich aroma of the herbs.
- Now, turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, mix that continuously until the sauce is really smooth and creamy. Cheese is not added to the sauce of the classic scalloped potatoes recipe; adding cheese to the sauce makes it Potatoes Au Gratin.
- Lightly grease your casserole dish with butter or with cooking spray, and then arrange the sliced potatoes in the lightly greased casserole dish.
- Pour half of the sauce over the potatoes and then repeat with another layer of potatoes and cheese sauce. You can build up to 3 or 4 layers depending on the depth of your casserole dish.
- Now sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese on top, cover with foil to help it steam and cook the potatoes faster.
- After that, baked in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, until tender and bubbly on top, and then remove foil and broil for another 5 minutes to achieve a golden top.
- And your easy and yummy scalloped potatoes are ready.
Video
Notes
These scalloped potatoes are great with ham or turkey especially when served along with green salad, this is really perfect for dinner. Nothing says comfort food like a creamy side of scalloped potatoes, we really enjoyed it.