Elegant Scalloped Potatoes
Originally published as Elegant Scalloped Potatoes in Quick Cooking March/April 2004, p29. I wanted a different side dish one night, so I dressed up my usual scalloped potatoes with bacon, green onion, and extra cheese. Microwaving speeds things up, but you can save even more time by preparing it a day early.
Originally published as Elegant Scalloped Potatoes in Quick Cooking March/April 2004, p29. I wanted a different side dish one night, so I dressed up my usual scalloped potatoes with bacon, green onion, and extra cheese. Microwaving speeds things up, but you can save even more time by preparing it a day early.
- Carbohydrate 55.5279719213594 g
- Cholesterol 32.1618749845285 mg
- Fat 11.5947468339264 g
- Fiber 6.68409838160217 g
- Protein 9.82330764436841 g
- Saturated Fat 7.24255062451176 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (359g)
- Sodium 208.385928189208 mg
- Sugar 48.8438735397573 g
- Trans Fat 0.781688089341433 g
- Calories 359 calories
Step-by-step
- Scrub and pierce potatoes; place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly.
- In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the process cheese and bacon; stir until cheese is melted. Remove from the heat; set aside.
- Cut potatoes into 1/4-in. slices. Place a third of the slices in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; top with a third of the cheese sauce. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and onions.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Replacing process cheese with sharp aged cheddar alters the fundamental melt profile of the sauce, demanding careful temperature control to prevent graininess. Baking potatoes like russets contain high starch levels that absorb dairy rapidly, whereas waxy varieties hold their shape through extended baking cycles. Sauces thickened with a standard 1:1 butter-to-flour roux require gradual liquid incorporation to avoid lumps, meaning milk must be whisked into the pot slowly rather than dumped all at once.
Scaling this recipe for smaller households requires adjusting both the baking vessel dimensions and the potato slice thickness to maintain even heat penetration. Reducing the yield from ten servings down to four means downsizing to an 8-inch square baking dish while keeping the oven temperature at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Because fewer layers trap less ambient heat, slice the potatoes slightly thinner at approximately one-eighth of an inch to ensure the starches soften fully within the standard fifteen-minute bake window.
Microwaving whole tubers bypasses the lengthy raw-bake phase, though boiling unpeeled potatoes in salted water until fork-tender works equally well if microwave equipment is unavailable. Fully assembled dishes can be held unbaked in the refrigerator for up to twenty-four hours, provided the surface is tightly sealed with plastic wrap to prevent oxidation discoloration on the potato surfaces.
