Scalloped Potatoes
We were having friends over for dinner the night before Thanksgiving and I served a ham and scalloped potatoes. I found a lighter recipe for scalloped potatoes in one of my favorite cookbooks, The Best Light Recipe by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated. This recipe was fairly easy to make, especially if you have a mandolin slicer! The cream cheese made the dish extra creamy and delicious. We all enjoyed these potatoes and they paired nicely with the baked ham.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 7 minutes, or until tender. Add the minced garlic, thyme, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the milk, bay leaf, and potatoes then bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until partially tender and a fork can be slipped into a potato slice with some resistance, about 10-12, minutes.
Discard bay leaf. Whisk the cornstarch and water together then add to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the cream cheese and two tablespoons of Parmesan, being careful not to break up the potatoes. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish then sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the potatoes are completely fork-tender and the top is golden brown, about 10-15 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Olive oil
- ½ sweet yellow onion diced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- ¼ tsp thyme
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 3 large russet potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 1 ½ cup 2% milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp light cream cheese
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 7 minutes, or until tender. Add the minced garlic, thyme, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the milk, bay leaf, and potatoes then bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until partially tender and a fork can be slipped into a potato slice with some resistance, about 10-12, minutes.
- Discard bay leaf. Whisk the cornstarch and water together then add to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the cream cheese and two tablespoons of Parmesan, being careful not to break up the potatoes. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish then sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the potatoes are completely fork-tender and the top is golden brown, about 10-15 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy.
Goodness, these potatoes are calling my name! Perfection!
Sounds too good!!
I adore scalloped potatoes! And I love this lighter version of it. I won’t feel guilty about having seconds –yay! YUM!
I really enjoy scalloped potatoes, but can’t remember the last time I made them…. I’ll have to try this recipe soon… you can’t go when you add cream cheese!! 🙂
Ham and Scalloped potatoes are a great memory from my childhood. And I’m loving your version with the cream cheese. Saving this recipe for my Christmas Ham leftovers. Thanks for sharing.
FAbulous this gratin Pam. I love potatoes gratin and yours, with all the ingredients chosen is perfect!
Cheers,
Lia.
this is my mom’s specialty!
One of my favorite ways to prepare potatoes. I like the use of the recipe from Best Light Recipes. I have the book and there are many good recipes in it.
I am so impressed that this is a light recipe! Creamy cheesy goodness!
So creamy and comforting!
This is one of my favorite side dishes. I noticed you didn’t show a plated shot. As good as scalloped potatoes are, they just don’t look sexy when plated, do they? ha ha
Bookmarking to try your version. I’ve craving your beef and barley stew tonight.