Nothing beats a rich, creamy side dish! Potatoes are a favourite here, and when you add cream sauce? Nothing beats it! Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.
I know most scalloped potato recipes call for milk and thickening that with flour to make a roux and béchamel, but I remember when we went to a friend's for a dinner when I was a teen and they’d made them a different way. Naturally gluten free for the dad who ate limited gluten and really, so much simpler than needing to cook a sauce! Since then I’ve been a convert.
Besides being gluten free, this is vegetarian as you don't HAVE to add any meat. It makes a really filling option for vegetarians to add to their plates!
Looking for more easy potato ideas, I've got you covered. Twice baked potatoes are super easy to stash in the freezer so all you need to do is bake them off. Mashed potatoes are another option that keeps warm for a long time, and contain less cream so it's not as heavy of a dish.
Why You Need This Recipe
- Tons of hand off time, and it stays warm nicely so you can get it out of the way early.
- Perfect for holidays because it feeds a ton!
- Not just a side dish - add meat and veggies in the layers and you've got a one-pot meal!
Key Ingredients
Potatoes - try and stick with yellow or red, the more waxy options. While baking potatoes will still work, they tend to fall apart a bit more and won't keep the layers as nicely. But as always, use what ya got!
Dairy - heavy cream and whole milk are where it's at! You can probably use all half and half for the dairy and get a decent end result, but I wouldn't cut out much more fat than that.
Cheese - yup, open that cheese drawer and see what's in it! I always use a mix/blend of cheese for the best flavour, and try and make sure at least one of your options is something with a tang like gouda, gruyere, Swiss...
How to Make Dutch Oven Scalloped Potatoes
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Grease that pot reallllly well! I'm not kidding. You don't want all the delicious dish stuck in the pot.
Step 2: Wash and slice the potatoes thin. Keep them all the same!
Step 3: Begin your layers. I like to salt and pepper between every few whole potatoes I add in.
Step 4: Pour in the milk until it's about ⅔ the way up the potatoes, and pop on the lid.
Step 5: Bake until there is no resistance with a butter knife. Add cheese and put back in the oven to melt/brown.
Tips and Tricks
- Practice your knife skills with this! Size (diameter) of potato doesn't matter - you just want your slices all the same thickness.
- Add meat and veggies for a one pot meal.
- Once browned, cover back up and they can easily wait in the oven on warm for an hour!
FAQs
It's very rare we ever peel potatoes in my house. It's a bunch of work and also? The good Lord put a lot of work into those peels and they are so nutritious why would we waste them? They also serve to keep the potato rounds together a bit, so leave 'em.
Add leftover cooked meats. Ham and bacon would be the most delicious, but seriously any meat is great here like sausage, too. If you add broccoli or green beans then you've got a one-pot meal with no effort. Keep in mind that adding ingredients means you'll likely need more milk. But again, as long as it's about ⅔ up the side of the potatoes you're golden. No need to measure.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Side Dish Recipes
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Dutch Oven Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 ½ -3 lbs potatoes yellow or red waxy, not baking potatoes
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1-2 cups grated cheese cheddar, asiago, mozzarella, swiss…
- Bacon, ham, etc. (cooked) in layers or on top, optional
- Broccoli, green beans, etc. in layers, optional
Instructions
- Grease a 4-6 quart Dutch oven really nicely so your potatoes don't stick too bad!
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Wash your potatoes and slice them thin, about ¼”. You can use a mandolin but a sharp knife works great with less risk!
- Layer the potatoes in the Dutch oven. I like to do layers of roughly 1-2 potatoes thick, then salt and pepper the layer before adding another layer of potatoes.
- Mix the cream and milk together and pour overtop of the potatoes. It should reach about ⅔ of the way up; remember the potatoes will settle as they cook and release some liquid.
- Cover and bake 1 ½ - 2 hours. Use a butter knife to see if they're done. It should go in nicely without resistance.
- When they're fully cooked, sprinkle grated cheese and bacon over top, and return to oven without the lid on. When it's melted and a little brown, remove, let rest a few minutes, and then eat.
Notes
- A baking potato is fluffy and it's more likely for them to not hold their shape. But if it's all you have, also don't sweat it and use em!
- Scalloped potatoes always take longer than you think BUT they ‘hold’ nicely until serving well, especially in a nice thick dutch oven! If you feel like they look a little dry, add some more cream/milk or just cream to them.
Owl
This sounds wonderful and would definitely be a hit with my meat and potatoes family! I am anxiously awaiting my first milk cow’s first freshening and using your dairy course to learn all the great things I can make with her milk. I wonder if there’s a resource that (or if your course) includes instruction on the many different cheeses and how they are best enjoyed? I really appreciate your “use what you have” attitude and am a likeminded believer of it but I would appreciate a little bit of knowledge before I start learning from the school of experience.
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Here you go! So sorry for the delayed reply.
https://shop.venisonfordinner.com/dairy-workshop
Nell killip
Can you make this recipe in a throwaway container
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Yes you could make this in an aluminum foil pan