This recipe pre-cooks the potato slices. That way you don’t have to bake this dish for hours! Saves you time and is equally delicious. Sharp cheddar cheese adds the perfect bite to this potato classic.
Easy Scalloped Potatoes
I’ve said this before but we are big potato fans at our house. I mean, are there people out there that aren’t? This classic potato dish couldn’t be easier, all you need are some russet potatoes, cream, chicken broth & cheese! And a little salt & pepper too :).
Scalloped potatoes vs. au gratin potatoes:
Technically scalloped potatoes are thinly sliced and cooked in cream or milk with garlic and or herbs. Potatoes au gratin are made with sprinkled cheese between the layers for a cheesy dish. And often sprinkled with breadcrumbs. Scalloped potatoes are usually a thicker sliced potato vs. the au gratin a thinner sliced round.
I’d compare scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes to yams and sweet potatoes. It’s hard to tell the difference because they are so similar and often times people will call a sweet potato a yam and a yam a sweet potato. Even though they are technically different by definition, they are so similar they get confused and have a bit of a cross over.
I am calling these scalloped potatoes, but they have cheese melted into the cream. So that is similar to au gratin potatoes but I didn’t add bread crumbs on top. I sprinkled cheese. I did slice them 1/4″ thick so that leans more to the scalloped potatoes by definition. Either way, you will love these potatoes!
How to make scalloped potatoes with cheese
How to make scalloped potatoes bake faster in the oven
The trick to not having to bake your scalloped potatoes for hours in the oven until they are soft is pre-boiling them on the stove in the cream and chicken broth mixture. That way, you just transfer to the oven to melt the cheese and get it all bubbly!
What kind of cheese is best for cheesey scalloped potatoes?
Sharp cheddar cheese adds the perfect bite to this potato side dish. However, you are welcome to use a medium or mild cheddar or different cheese all together. But we love it with the sharp cheddar!
I used a deep 13×9″ dish for these pictures and doubled the recipe. It would be a great for a large group or family. But normally we do the regular recipe as a side dish for our family of 6.
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This recipe pre-cooks the potato slices. That way you don't have to bake this dish for hours! Saves you time and equally delicious. Sharp cheddar cheese adds the perfect bite to this potato classic.
- 2 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup chicken broth *
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
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Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a baking dish or 13"x9" pan with cooking spray. Peel and then slice your potatoes to 1/4" thick (use mandolin if you have one). Shred your cheese and set aside.
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Place the potatoes in a saucepan or large pot and add the cream, broth, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
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Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook stirring occasionally until a fork can be slipped in with no resistance (about 8 to 10 min). Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
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Take the potatoes off the heat then stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Pour the mixture into prepared dish evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.
*I always use water & better than bouillon when a recipe calls for broth.
Make sure you use russet potatoes. They help in thickening the sauce.
You can make this ahead. After you transfer the potatoes to the baking dish, let it cool then cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Then bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove foil, add cheese and bake until bubbling around the edges, about 20 more minutes.
If you double the recipe (I did in the photographs) let the dish cool for 30 minutes after baking.
Source: adapted from the Dec./Jan. Cook’s Country Magazine 2018
OTHER SIDE DISHES
Lemon and Tomato Green Beans: these have such great flavor and pretty color from the red tomatoes.
Sweet Potatoes: these are my FAVORITE! Seriously, I can’t NOT go back for seconds. (did that make sense?! haha). They are AMAZING!
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