Never-Fail Scalloped Potatoes

Serves
6
Prep
25 min
Cook
1 h
Total
1 h 25 min

Ingredients

Pan

  • cooking spray, for greasing

Cheese sauce

  • 2tbspbutter
  • 3tbspall-purpose flour
  • 1tspsalt
  • 1/4tsppepper
  • 36011/2mlcupsmilk, fat-free
  • 1201/2mlcupcheddar cheese, reduced-fat, shredded

Layers

  • 9052glbpotatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, about 4 cups
  • 2401mlcuponions, thinly sliced, divided

Equipment

  • small saucepan
  • whisk
  • 20x20 cm8x8 in square baking dish
  • foil, for covering the dish

Steps

Cheese sauce

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C350°F.

  2. Melt the butter in the saucepan. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth.

  3. Whisk in the milk gradually. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then cook and stir until thickened, about .

  4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheese until melted.

Assemble and bake

  1. Coat the baking dish with the cooking spray.

  2. Layer half the potatoes in the dish, then 120 ml1/2 cup of the onions and half the cheese sauce. Repeat the layers.

  3. Bake, covered, for .

  4. Uncover and bake for longer, until bubbly and the potatoes are tender.

Storage

  • Keeps up to 5 days in the fridge, right in the baking dish, covered with a lid or foil.
  • Freezer: freezes and reheats well. Freeze in a freezer-to-oven baking dish or in freezer-safe containers.
  • Make ahead: the flavors improve after sitting overnight.

Notes

  • Russet potatoes are the usual choice: they turn meltingly tender, and their starch helps thicken the sauce. Yukon Gold, fingerling and red potatoes also work.
  • A hand-operated mandoline gives evenly thin slices.
  • To keep the sliced potatoes from browning, drop them into cold water until you're ready to assemble the dish.

Variations

Without cheese: leave the cheese out of the sauce for traditional scalloped potatoes.

Extra cheesy: use more cheese instead. Parmesan or another hard, strong-flavored grating cheese is a good choice.

Source: www.tasteofhome.com