How to make tender and creamy scalloped potatoes

Scalloped potatoes are a welcome addition to many meals.

Served as a side or main dish, scalloped potatoes are soft, sliced vegetables in a creamy sauce and sometimes referred to as southern potatoes. Making them creamy means adding milk and cheese, which absorb into the potatoes and add a smoother texture. The combination is baked and typically served with ham, chicken or pork, or at picnics, where it withstands outdoor conditions such as extreme heat rather well.

Things You'll Need

• 4 potatoes
• Oven
• Casserole dish
• 1 onion
• Ham (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• Saucepan
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Wire whisk
• 2 cups milk
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Wash the potatoes under warm tap water.

2. Peel and cut the potatoes and onions into 1/4-inch slices. As an option, square precooked ham into 1/4-inch chunks.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and butter a one-quart casserole dish.

4. Lie half the potatoes on the bottom of the dish, add a layer of onion slices and top with the rest of the potatoes. Add the optional ham before the last potato layer. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Melt butter in a pan at medium heat.

6. Add flour and salt, then stir constantly with a wire whisk for one minute until the mixture is slightly lumpy.

7. Add milk and cook until the the flour dissolves and the sauce becomes creamy.

8. Add all the cheese at the same time and stir until melted.

9. Pour the new cheese mixture over the potatoes and onions in the casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil.

10. Bake in the oven for 90 minutes.

References

• All Recipes: Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
• Taste of Home: Scalloped Potatoes and Ham