Scalloped potatoes - a comfort food tradition
How to make scalloped potatoes from scratch
Scalloped potatoes are a very traditional comfort food recipe and the perfect partner for a baked ham. They are not difficult to make and use very basic ingredients. Homemade "from scratch" is so much better that the ones in the box so they are worth the effort.
What are the best potatoes to use?
My favorite potato varieties for making scalloped potatoes are Russets and Yukon Gold potatoes. Russets make a very creamy rich dish but the Yukon Gold hold together better through the cooking process.
Preparing the basic ingredients for Scalloped Potatoes
Slice your potatoes a consistent thickness, about ⅛ inch. Precooking the potato slices in boiling water for 3 minutes to insure tenderness is a step that some cooks eliminate but I find that it really helps to make a successful dish. Slice the onion very thin, thinner than the potatoes. The white sauce in the recipe below can be made richer by substituting ¾ c. of heavy cream for half of the milk ingredient amount. Some people add cheese to the sauce but that turns the recipe to Potatoes Au Gratin or Delmonico Potatoes. True scalloped potatoes have a plain white sauce. Thisrecipe goes well with a casual supper meal or with a holiday dinner. Enjoy!
PrintScalloped Potatoes - the perfect side dish comfort food recipe
An All American favorite, these scalloped potatoes are from my Nana's recipe file. She served them with Baked Ham on Easter.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Vegetable Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 5 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin
- 1 ½ c. milk
- 3 tbs. flour
- 4 tbs. butter
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 20 Ritz crackers
- Paprika
Instructions
- Peel and slice potatoes into a medium sized pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
- Boil for 3 minutes. Do not completely cook. Drain.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in saucepan.
- Add flour and stir until bubbly creating a roux.
- Add milk slowly while stirring constantly.
- Cook until the sauce is smooth.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place crackers in a plastic ziploc bag and crush with rolling pin.
- Add 1 tbs of melted butter to crackers and mix by manipulating the closed bag.
- Spray 1 ½ qt. casserole with non stick cooking spray.
- Put layer of ½ of the potato slices in bottom of casserole dish.
- Put layer of ½ the onion slices on top of potato layer.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place bits of butter (1 tbs.) on onion layer.
- Cover with ½ of the white sauce.
- Repeat the layering process with remaining potatoes and onions.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place bits of butter (1 tbs.) on onion layer.
- Cover with remaining white sauce.
- Top with buttered Ritz crackers
- Dust lightly with paprika.
- Cover and bake for 40 mins at 350F
- Remove cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes to crisp cracker topping to a golden brown.
Maria says
These sound wonderful! I love scalloped potatoes, I could just eat them as the main dish and not just a side!!! These look delicious!
Stephanie says
Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction says
Thanks for linking this lovely recipe to #GetHimFed No. 31. I'm featuring your recipe on #GetHimFed No. 32. Hope you link up this week too.
Annamaria
Erren says
Hi, This looks fantastic! I saw the link on feed him Fridays and had to have a look! Thanks for sharing!
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Michelle Day @ www.michellestastycreations.com says
These are my favorite kind of potatoes 🙂 Thanks for linking up to Tasty Creations 🙂 Have a great weekend!
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April @ Angel's Homestead says
This is the perfect side dish for Eater and I love your serving dish! Thank you so much for sharing with Saturday Spotlight last week. I hope you come by today to share more of your awesome creations! Happy Easter 🙂
http://angelshomestead.com/
April
Carrie says
Oh, yum!! I love scalloped potatoes. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!
Susie @Bowdabra says
Thank you so much for sharing this in the Crafty Showcase! We are featuring you in a Last Minute Easter Recipe Round up!! These looks AMAZING!!
Have a super week. Here is your feature http://bowdabrablog.com/2013/03/26/last-minute-creative-easter-dinner-recipes/
See you this weekend for a new Crafty Showcase!
Susie @Bowdabra
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Kendra says
I just love scalloped potatoes and yours look amazing. Thank you for sharing on Crafty Thursday Obsessions.
Jann Olson says
Great side dish with ham. One of my favorites. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Lisa Lynn says
Perfect dish to go with that ham 🙂 I loved the guest post about windowsill herbs! Thanks for sharing on The Creative HomeAcre Hop! Hope to see you tomorrow at:
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/03/the-creative-homeacre-hop-8.html
Brenda @ChattingOverChocolate.blogspot.com says
Your scalloped potatoes caught my eye at the Serenity Saturday party. They look delicious, Sheryl!! Pinned! Thanks for the terrific recipe 😉 I'm co-hosting the Sweet & Savoury Sunday Link Party tomorrow and would LOVE to have you stop by ChattingOverChocolate.blogspot.com and share this yummy recipe (& any other 2 recipes you'd like as well!) Hope to see you there!! Have a beautiful day! 🙂
Twinkle in the Eye says
Comfort food!
Linda says
Yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
Allyson says
Mmmm, love me some cheesy potatoes! Thanks for linking up at Domestic Superhero this week!
Allison {A Glimpse Inside} says
Yummy! I really like scalloped potatoes but never think to make them!
Thanks for linking up to this week's Catch a Glimpse Party! I'll be featuring this tomorrow. 🙂
Shaffer Sisters says
These look really good. I would like to invite you to link up to our party next Monday we will be doing Easter dishes and this would be the perfect fit.
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Bethany says
That looks so yummy!
Sinea Pies says
This sounds delightful. I've been looking for a potato recipe for Easter. This may just be the one!
Thanks so much for linking up at my Wonderful Wednesday blog hop. Come back next week! 🙂
Sheryl T says
Sounds delightful and tastes really delicious!You'll enjoy it. When my boys were small, the middle son didn't like onions so I would take one corner of the casserole and make it onion free for him!
Selene Galindo says
Oh, I just looove scalloped potatoes! Thanks for the recipe!
Selene @ restorationbeauty.com
Grandma Kc says
Those do look delicious and I may have to try your recipe for Easter this year. The potatoes are a lot of work to slice but they sure are worth it.
Lori @ A Bright and Beautiful Life says
Thanks for sharing your recipe. These potatoes look delicious. And I love the shape of your casserole dish. It makes your potatoes look super festive.
Jen Nikolaus says
These potatoes look SOOOOO good!!! I love the Ritz cracker topping, yum!! I can't wait to try them - thanks for sharing!
~Jen @ Yummy. Healthy. Easy.
Sheryl T says
Ritz crackers make a great quick topping for casseroles. I put them in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. After I pour melted butter in and zip the bag. You can then work the butter through the crackers by kneading the bag. No mess!
Paula says
I'm so hungry now! looks delish!
ellie says
SO happy to have discovered your blog through the RTSH blog! My mom's family is from Maine so it holds a VERY special place in my heart. And your recipes are amaaaaazing. My husband is a meat and potatoes guy so he will be in heaven with this recipe. Pinning away! 🙂 Have an awesome day and breathe the good Maine air for me. OX
Sheryl T says
Maine is a special place! Although I grew up in New Hampshire, living here in Maine for the last 21 years has been sheer joy. I cannot imagine living anywhere else. If your hubby likes meat and potatoes, he's just like my Bill. Keep coming back and you'll find more and more of those good old comfort food recipes! I'm taking a nice deep breath of the fresh Maine air for you. It's bit crisp, we have a big snowstorm coming in today that is predicted to give us 12-16 inches of snow!
Pamela says
My husband loves scalloped potatoes. The recipe looks delicious and I love your sweet white dish.
Vicki Valenta says
Yummy! Can't wait to make these.
Dani says
One of my all time favorite foods! Thanks for sharing. Joining from Inspire Me Monday - http://allthoseartsygirls.blogspot.com/
Jess says
I love potatoes in any shape or form! 🙂
Again, thanks for linking up!
Sheryl T says
Me, too. Of course, living here in Aroostook County, Maine aka Potato Country, the supply is plentiful. We have so many varieties to choose from. I never grow potatoes in my garden because the large commercial farms let people go in and "glean" the fields after they are done with the mechanized harvest. We put a couple of wooden potato barrels full in the cellar and they keep right through the winter.
carrie says
Those look so yummy! I might need to add them to the menu for Easter 🙂
Leslie says
Yum, I think I need to try these ones!
Thank you for linking up to Raising Imperfection!
Make sure to check back on Friday to see if you were featured.
Leslie
http://www.violetimperfection.com
Sheryl T says
It's a very easy dish to prepare ...pretty much foolproof. And it is so satisfying - comfort food with a capital "C".
Lanaya @ Raising Reagan says
I absolutely love scalloped potatoes! One of my favorite side dishes to make!
Thank you for linking to Raising Imperfection.
Please come back Friday to see if you were featured. 🙂
¤´¨)
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(¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
http://www.raising-reagan.com
Rosey says
Scalloped potatoes ARE the perfect comfort food!!