Thinly sliced potatoes wrapped with a rich cream sauce infused with nutmeg, garlic fresh thyme and bay leaves. Layered with a sprinkling of kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese. Baked until tender, creamy, earthy and ridiculously comforting!
We’re always on the hunt for dishes we can prepare in advance and this falls neatly into that category. Scalloped potatoes, sometimes referred to as au gratin potatoes, have been a favorite in our family for years. The dish consists of thin slices of potatoes, layered in a creamy sauce, dusted with grated Parmesan and baked until hot and bubbly.
There are dozens of recipes for scalloped potatoes. This is a blend of my Mom’s recipe along with a number of recipes I’ve received over the years. A sauce of heavy cream seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, garlic, and herbs of thyme and bay leaves.
Toss with thin slices of new potatoes and layer with additional kosher salt, black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Seasoning potatoes before cooking is critical. If you don’t season them in advance there is no amount of salt that will fix it afterwards!
If you’ve got a group headed to your house, this is one dish you can prep a day or two beforehand giving you time to actually enjoy your yourself while entertaining!
Scalloped Potatoes
2 cups heavy cream
4 bay leaves
About 8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme, or 4 to 5 if they are large sprigs
½ teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, divided
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2-1/2 pounds new potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Combine the heavy cream with the bay leaves, fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the nutmeg in a small saucepan. Heat on medium-low until the cream is scalded. (Just under boiling, with the cream steamy and foamy.)
While the cream is heating, slice the peeled potatoes as thinly as possible staying uniform in thickness.
In a large bowl, toss the potato slices with the warm cream mixture, stirring to coat. Let the potatoes rest in the sauce for about 10 minutes.
Spray an 8″ x 12″ baking dish with a cooking spray. Spread about ¼ cup of the cream from the potatoes across the bottom and sprinkle with some of the Parmesan cheese. Place a single layer of the potato slices on top and sprinkle with a bit of the extra kosher salt, black pepper and more Parmesan cheese. Repeat until all the potatoes are layered in the baking dish. Discard the bay leaves and thyme springs from the sauce, leaving any thyme leaves that have dropped off. Pour the remaining sauce over the potatoes. At this point you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Let the dish stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. If the baking dish is still cold to the touch when you’re ready to bake, set it on a rimmed baking sheet before placing it in the oven. Hot oven, cold pan don’t equal a positive outcome!
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in a 400-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cooked through. The tip of a sharp knife should easily pierce through the potatoes.
Serves 6 to 8.
Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment
- small saucepan
- 8" x 12" baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 bay leaves
- 8 to 10 sprigs of fresh thyme 4 to 5 if the sprigs are large
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2-1/2 pounds new potatoes peeled
- 1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Combine the heavy cream with the bay leaves, fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Heat on medium-low until the cream is scalded. (Just under boiling until the milk is steamy and foamy.)
- While the cream is heating, slice the potatoes as thinly as possible staying uniform in thickness.
- In a large bowl, toss the potato slices with the warm cream mixture, stirring to coat. Let the potatoes rest in the sauce for about 10 minutes.
- Spray an 8" x 12" baking dish with a cooking spray. Spread about ¼ cup of the cream from the potatoes across the bottom and sprinkle with some of the Parmesan cheese. Place a single layer of the potato slices on top, sprinkle with a bit of the extra kosher salt, black pepper and more Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat until all the potatoes are layered in the baking dish. Remove the bay leaves and thyme springs from the sauce, leaving any thyme leaves that have dropped off. Pour the remaining sauce over the potatoes. (At this point you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Let the dish stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. If the baking dish is still cold to the touch when you're ready to bake, place it on a rimmed baking sheet before placing it in the oven. Hot oven, cold pan don’t equal a positive outcome!
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in a 400-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cooked through. The tip of a sharp knife should easily pierce through the potatoes.
