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Enjoy this simple side dish of scalloped potatoes and let it remind you of a time long past. I received Valerie’s Home Cooking in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click on and make a purchase through them.
Scalloped potatoes. Kind of a mundane side dish. Easy to make, this dish may often get looked over.
For me, it’s more than just sliced potatoes and cheese. When I eat scalloped potatoes I can’t help but think of my Grandmother. She could make potatoes into just about anything. Living on a farm, during the depression years, potatoes were a part of every meal. She once told me that she had to eat potatoes in some form every day.
As I shingled the potatoes across the top of my casserole to get a nice look of uniformity, I couldn’t help but picture Grandma’s hands. A hard worker, she taught herself how to do everything. From sewing to baking, and she was good at it all. My hands covered in cream, I pictured hers slicing potatoes, working pie dough, and refusing to write down any of her recipes because there were “no recipes to write down”.
Since I don’t have Grandma’s recipes, I look for home cooking like hers in recipe books like Valerie Bertinelli’s – Valerie’s Home Cooking. Full of delicious recipes, and anecdotes that make you feel at home, I love this book and the recipes inside.
Enjoy this excerpt and recipe from Valeri’s Home Cooking for Scalloped Potatoes:
When you get a craving for a rich, creamy, indulgent potato, say for a holiday family get-together or, in my case, a birthday or a book club gathering, this should be your first choice: scalloped potatoes. To slice the peeled potatoes, use a sharp knife if that’s your preference, or, if you’re like me, get out your mandoline and enjoy turning out perfectly round and thin cuts that can be laid flat and piled high in the baking dish. I get a kick out of watching this dish come together; each step is clearly defined, different, and yet essential. Now, I’m aware that a traditional scalloped potato does not include cheese, and that adding cheese to this recipe technically makes it a potato au gratin, but so what? I got this recipe from my mom, who called it Scalloped Potatoes, and out of respect for her, I’m going to continue this rich tradition of misinformation. When all is said and eaten, I think the only question you’ll be asked is the same one I get afterward: “When will you make this again?”
Doesn’t that just sound perfect and homey? Definitely the kind of misinformation my Grandma would have enjoyed sharing as well.
- 4 large russet potatoes (about 3 3/4 pounds), peeled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere Cheese
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 13-x-9-inch baking dish. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Toss together the potatoes, salt, and 3/4 cup of the cream in a large bowl.
- Spread half of the potato micture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Top evenly with 1 cup of the cheese, and shingle the remaining potato slices over the cheese. Pour the remaining 3/4 cup cream evenly over the potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hours and 20 minutes.
- Uncover and bake until the potatoes are tender and the cheese if golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool for 15 minutes before serving.
- Variation: Don't have heavy cream on hand? Use half-and-half or even whole milk. Try Manchego instead of Gruyere cheese.
- Make Ahead: To get ahead, peel and cut the potatoes ahead of time but keep them in cold water so that they don't brown.
