This has become a new favorite potato recipe of mine. Honestly, I find it almost as easy as mashed potatoes, but in this form it is easier to make a larger batch and easier to hold them. I give them a good ninety minutes in the oven to ensure they are tender, and after that they can always be held at a lower temperature in the oven as well for awhile to keep warm. I find every scalloped potato recipe differs slightly. Some have cheese, some do not, some have onion, some are really creamy, some are thick, some are thin. This is an easy one using some onion, and a thinner cream sauce just to add a little moisture and some extra flavor. The presentation isn't great here, but the flavor is good and comforting!
Scalloped Potatoes
10 (approximately) large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 large (or two medium) white onions, sliced into thin rings (or diced)
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
4 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425◦F.
Arrange the potatoes and onions in a large, long rectangular baking sheet. There should be no more than three to four layers overlapping. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and stir. Stir in the milk and seasonings. Cook, stirring often, until mixture becomes a thick sauce. Pour over potatoes in pan. Seal pan with foil. Bake for about ninety minutes or so until tender. The potatoes must be sliced thin, but because they are layered, they will take a while to become tender. If they cook too quickly, you can always turn the oven down to simply keep them warm.
Scalloped Potatoes is a dish my mother often used to make, especially when we were having ham for supper. She doesn't make it as often anymore, as it is quite a bit of work compared to other methods of preparing potatoes, but she made them today, and it was a real treat! The name scalloped potatoes originated by the way the potatoes were cut - with a special tool that makes a scalloped design. Some also believe the dish was originally made with scallops as well, and that is where the term scalloped came from. The dish consists of these potatoes, along with a white and cheese sauce.
To make them: boil some potatoes until just barely tender (they will finish cooking in the oven). Meanwhile, melt some butter in a small saucepan. Once melted, add some chopped onion and stir occasionally until bubbling. Add some flour and ground black pepper and mi it up until thick. Then add a cup of milk and heat, stirring occasionally, until boiled and thick. This will be the white sauce, which will layer into a cheese sauce when in the casserole. Once the potatoes are boiled, slice them into thin slices. Arrange half of the slices into a casserole dish, top with slices of cheese (we use marble), and top with half of the white sauce. Repeat layers. Cover and bake for about an hour at 350◦F until hot and bubbly and potatoes are tender.
