It’s winter, and I love getting in the kitchen to make comfort food. Warming up the house with the heat from the oven – leaving it slightly open when I turn it off to give warmth to my bones. I craved potatoes recently, and not baked or fried, but scalloped potatoes – the way my mother made them. There was a time when Betty Crocker introduced boxed, freeze-dried scalloped potatoes to make it easy for home cooks. We’d rebel, and she’d go back to slicing the potatoes and making the creamy sauce on the stove. Like most of her cooking, this one she made up as she went along, so I don’t have her original recipe, but this one comes pretty close. These potatoes go with just about anything – chicken, beef, or fish. And, it’s an impressive side served at a dinner party because I don’t think most people make them from scratch anymore. Keep this recipe on repeat. Bonus: this recipe can be prepared up to 24 hours before your meal, so it’s a real timesaver for the busy host.
Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick 2 lbs is about 4 large potatoes
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp salt, more to taste if needed
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated Do not use pre-shredded cheese. I does not melt as well as freshly grated.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bring potatoes, cream, broth, salt and pepper to simmer in large saucepan over medium high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook stirring occassionally until pairing knife slips in and out of potatoes easily about 15-20 minutes; adjusting heat as necessary to maintain gentle simmer.
- Take off the heat and gently stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
- At this point, potatoes can be cooled in a greased 9x13" baking dish, covered with foil and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
- Spread remaining cheese over the top (you can add more cheese if you want it really cheesy).
- Bake until bubbling around the edges and top is golden brown about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
