Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes: Believe it or not, before I had to adhere to a gluten free diet, I wasn't overly crazy about potatoes. I ate them sometimes & made them for my family but I wasn't crazy about them. Amazing what I will eat when you take away my bread & pasta. Potatoes are now kind of a staple at our house.

My mom used to make scalloped potatoes with ham chunks when I was a kid growing up. I don't think she had a recipe. Years ago I decided to make them for my family and she was out of town (no cell phones back in those days!). So I scoured the library (yep - that was before internet!) in recipe books. I found a recipe that was easy and adjusted it some. It is a great recipe because it never had flour or gluten in the recipe to begin with so I don't have to adjust the sauce ingredients. YAY! I use it as my basic recipe and will jazz it up depending on what we are having for dinner.

Oh...by the way, these taste great in the morning re-heated and served with eggs for breakfast. :)  I also like the recipe because it can be made ahead of time and cooked a day or two later which makes it great for the holidays! (Mushrooms or broccoli can be added if you really like them. Some of our family members don't like mushrooms or broccoli so I don't add them unless they aren't coming for brunch/dinner!)

Scalloped Potatoes Recipe:

• 2 pounds of potatoes, any type will work. I don't peel them - just wash them well & slice thin. Or if you are pressed for time, use the shredded or cubed potatoes from the refrigerator or freezer section at your grocery store. It's okay to let someone else do the dirty work! :)
• 3 shallots, peeled & thinly sliced or use 1/2 small onion or chives, you can leave out if you don't like them!
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced (I used the garlic in the jar)
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked crispy & crumbled (if you don't like bacon or are a vegetarian you can leave out the bacon. This is just the original recipe. Change it up. You can add ham or if you want to make it into a one-dish meal instead of a side dish...add chicken, cooked hamburger or whatever you want!
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese, whichever type of cheese you like. For this recipe I used a combination of muenster & cojack cheeses. We really like the Chipotle or Pepperjack cheeses also but not all of our guests like spicy potatoes! My family loves the Chipotle potatoes so that is what I usually make for Christmas brunch! Smoked gouda cheese is also delicious! 
• 2 1/2 cups of half & half cream (if you don't have half & half cream, just use milk + 1 tbs. butter and 1 tsp. cornstarch mixed well until not lumpy). I used fat free half & half for this recipe today.
• 1 tsp. salt (I like to use smoked sea salt but you can use any type of seasoning you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 dish (or a large casserole dish) - or spray with cooking spray. Layer the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with a little salt or seasoning. Sprinkle some of the sliced shallots, garlic & bacon. Then top with 1/3 of cheese. Repeat layers two more times, ending with cheese. Then pour the half & half cream over all. Cover with foil or casserole lid. Bake 75 minutes. Remove from oven and take off the foil/lid and then put back into oven for additional 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and potatoes are cooked but not mushy & liquid was absorbed. If you like your potatoes crispier, cook additional 15-20 minutes. 

Be creative with my basic scalloped potato dish. You can pretty much add/delete whatever you want to customize it or to use up leftovers in your refrigerator. Use it as a side dish or as a main dish casserole. Any way you serve it up...it is quite tasty!

Enjoy
Tanja
Gluten Free Casually