Dinner Tonight: Scalloped Potatoes
I sure can't remember the last time I had scalloped potatoes, but I'm very positive they didn't taste this good. I was trying to figure out what to do with this honking potato (the size of my arm), and somewhere along the way, the scalloped potatoes idea came into play. Suddenly I was searching for real, true, scalloped potato recipes, which ultimately led me to this one from Cook's Illustrated.
Though I'm not a scalloped potatoes veteran, I have nothing bad to say about these. Too often scalloped potatoes come out greasy and bland. Here, the cheese is minimal, and the broth, herbs, and onions made this an immensely flavorful meal. Though I'm sure it wasn't the healthiest thing I've eaten in a while, it was so fun to revisit the childhood classic—and discover it could still surprise me.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a freelance writer in Chicago. He is the co-founder of The Paupered Chef and spends most of his time playing with the new cooking gadgets he got from his wedding.
Scalloped Potatoes
- serves 4 -
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8th inch thick
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 bay leaf
2 ounces grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Heat a large iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter. When melted, add the onion. Cook for 4 minutes, or until soft.
2. Toss in the garlic and thyme, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Dump in the potatoes, chicken broth, cream, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the cover, sprinkle the cheese on top, and place the iron skillet in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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8 Comments:
That looks really delicious! Just don't forget to remove the bay leaf before eating (not Good Eats).
I don't agree completely with this recipe though. I almost stopped reading when I saw "the cheese is minimal". This looks like it'd be really good with a good melting cheese, gruyere perhaps. Maybe more garlic too.
jumpyfroggy at 4:56PM on 11/07/08
I've made this recipe before, it comes out very well.
empath at 5:33PM on 11/07/08
when you said "wasn't the healthiest thing you'd had in a while", i was expecting to see sticks of butter, and cups of cream and cheese. doesn't look too unhealthy to me!
redhead at 7:30PM on 11/07/08
I haven't had scalloped potatoes since I was a kid. This looks awesome.
buffy at 12:09AM on 11/08/08
I made a similar scalloped potato recipe a couple of weeks ago. In addition to topping with cheese, I used just a slight dusting of breadcrumbs for a nice crust on top.
jakeludington at 3:06AM on 11/09/08
Thanks for the great recipe. We fixed this last night for dinner and it turned out great. I think of scalloped potatoes in a big casserole dish, which takes more than an hour to bake. This method of 10 minutes on the stove top, then into a hot oven, resulted in perfectly cooked potatoes.
Suzzanne at 12:30PM on 11/16/08
Simplicity is the key. Peeled and sliced russet potatoes. Half and half. Layer potatoes in appropriate pan. Season first layer with salt and pepper and dot with butter. Second layer, same, third, same (if you get that far). Slowly drizzle in enough light cream (half and half) to nearly cover. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until brown on top and bubbly. I use a nonstick tart pan and place it on a cookie sheet for spills. This is my favorite potato dish, sorry Rosti, you're second.
tdl1501 at 11:09AM on 11/17/08
Although I use a bit more cheese, this is very similar to my recipe. For some reason though, I only make for special occasions or company. I think it was something that my mom did when I was growing up. I may have to re-think this though since we love them.
ddvierra68 at 5:18PM on 11/17/08