These decadent scalloped potatoes feature tender Yukon Golds bathed in a rich, cheesy white sauce and topped with melted Gruyère. Make them with baked ham or a steak dinner. They’re the perfect comfort food side dish.
How To Choose The Right Potato
- Choosing the right potato is a personal preference. In this recipe, I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes because they keep their shape and firm bite during long cooking times. For me, their golden color produces a visibly pleasing outcome. Russet potatoes will work with this recipe as well. They produce a dense-baked outcome and tend to fall apart during long cooking times.
- I would avoid using potatoes that are not peeled.
What Is Roux?
Roux is a cooking technique to remove starchy flavors in your sauces by cooking the flour with fat. A well made rous will ad smooth texture and complexity to your sauces. It is commonly used to thicken stews and sauces but is also used as a base for different French sauces like Bechamel or Velouté. The fat is melted then mixed with a 1 to 1 ratio of flour and cooked until it is well combined to form a paste..
How To Make A Flavorful White Sauce
- Once your butter and flour are mixed, It will form a buttery paste. This is called a “roux.” On medium heat, rapidly stir the roux in the pot constantly for about one minute, mashing it and stirring to make sure a crust is not formed.
- When making a flour-based sauce or gravy always cook your roux for a minute before adding the hot liquid. Cooking your roux will ensure that your sauce is flavorful, has complexity and does not have a “floury” taste.
- The consistency of your sauce is a personal preference. Make this recipe as is and then make changes to your liking. For a silky smooth sauce, add more hot milk to your roux. The potatoes will naturally thicken the sauce as it cooks, so you will want to make the sauce a bit thinner than you want it. For a more “baked” cheesy consistency, use less milk.
Tip: When cold liquid is added to a hot roux, lumps will immediately form.
How to avoid lumps in your sauces.
When I’m ready to add the liquid to my roux, I make sure it’s almost at boiling point – especially with gravies. The hot liquid should be around the same temperature as the roux “hot with hot”. When cold liquid is added to a hot roux, lumps will immediately form.
FAQS
Why are my scallop potatoes soupy?
The roux was not thick enough. Next time, adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding more flour or using less milk. Make notes to your recipe about the measurements you used so you can adjust the thickness of the sauce to your liking.
Why do my scallop potatoes taste bland?
Scalloped potatoes need a lot of seasoning. As you add layers, add salt and pepper to the potatoes. Lightly season the white sauce as well.
Can I slice my potatoes the day before?
Yes, put them in a bowl filled with water. The water should cover the potatoes completely. Cover them with plastic wrap and put store in the refrigerator. Put some sort of weight on top of the plastic wrap to keep the potatoes submerged. I use a small llunch plate.
What’s the difference between scalloped and au gratin potatoes?
Au gratin has cheese; scalloped does not. The term au gratin literally means “by grating” au gratin literally means “by grating” in French, or “with a crust,”
Best Scalloped Potatoes With Gruyere
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 – ¼ cup measure
Ingredients
- 7-8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, (cut 1/8 inch thick)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2½ cups whole milk that is hot
- ½ teas kosher salt
- ¼ teas black pepper
- ¼ teas nutmeg (optional)
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- ¾ cup white onion, minced
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter.
- Prepare the potatoes: slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick. Place in bowl of water and set aside
Make White Sauce
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour. The mixture will become the consistency of a paste. Cook for one minute while stirring constantly. This is called a "roux"
- Gradually whisk in the hot milk, continuing to whisk until smooth. Make sure milk is hot or your sauce will not mix well and get lumpy. It should be thick like heavy cream. if sauce gets too thick, thin it with hot milk.
- Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Make it a little saltier than you're accustomed to. The reason to slightly oversalt the sauce is because the potatoes will absorb it.
Layering Ingredients
- Strain potatoes from water and arrange about 1/4 of the potato slices in the baking dish, evenly sprinkle 1/4 minced onion, 1/4 cheese and 1/4 white sauce to cover the layer of potatoes. Repeat with remaining potatoes, sauce and onions ending with a layer of cheese on top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove aluminum foil and bake the remainder 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Tips:
- For a richer flavor, use half heavy cream and half whole milk.
- If you don’t have Gruyère, you can substitute another sharp cheese, such as cheddar or Swiss.
- For a crispy topping, broil the casserole for the last few minutes of baking.
