Perfect Scalloped Potatoes Everytime
I remember my mom making scalloped potatoes. They were a winter dish most often served with a big roast ham and ham sauce. And they seemed perfect everytime she made them. Over the years I would watch her make them and it seemed pretty easy. She sliced a bunch of potatoes and onions and then layered them in a big casserole dish, adding dollops of butter, a tablespoon or two of floured sprinkled over and then a dash of salt and pepper. She repeated this process layer after layer. Once she reached the top of the baking dish, she then finished the process by pouring milk down the sides of the layers of potatoes, onions and other ingredients until the milk just reached the top of the casserole dish. Then she put it all in the oven to bake for a couple of hours…and they came out delicious and perfect everytime.
And then as a family cook myself, I tried her system and my version of my mom’s recipe never came out perfect. Mine usually ended up a runny milky mess with uncooked potatoes scattered throughout. Mine were not only ‘not like my mom’s’…they actually weren’t even good.
But I kept trying and learning. And now I make the best no-fail perfect scalloped potatoes each and every time someone in our family has a craving for these.
Hmmm…I guess it’s true what they say…’if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again’. My journey to the perfect scalloped potatoes every time was worth try, try, trying again!
Scalloped Potatoes
Special Note: This recipe is best made with a special tool, a mandoline slicer. It’s the easiest way to get perfectly thinly sliced potatoes, a key need if you want all your potatoes to cook evenly and thoroughly.
Ingredients:
6 potatoes (about 2lb baking potatoes)
1 large sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
Sauce:
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 1/2c milk
Instructions:
Make Sauce first.
In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
Add flour, salt and pepper; cook, stirring for one minute.
Gradually stir in milk; cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until boiling and thickened.
Set aside.
Grease with butter 8-cup (2L) casserole dish.
Peel and thinly slice potatoes (a mandoline slicer set on ‘thin’ is the best and easiest way to slice the potatoes for this recipe).
arrange a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the dish, pour some of sauce over the potatoes and then sprinkle with onions. (Estimate number of layers and divide potatoes, sauce and onions by estimated number of layers and distribute accordingly).
Once finished layering, cover and bake in 350 degree F oven for 1 hour.
Uncover and bake for 45 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and top is lightly browned.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
