12.23.2011

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes


There are two events I love to cater every December for my church. CERF (Coastal Empire Reformed Fellowship) dinner where South East area Presbyterian pastors, leaders, and their wives gather for their annual Christmas dinner, and IPC staff luncheon. Cooking good tasting meals for God's servants means so much to me, much more than any other shindig I catered as a professional caterer outside the church years ago.

And by request, I made this creamy scalloped potatoes for both events last week, along with fried shrimp, whole New York strip roasted with garlic, fried egg rolls and such.

Fresh thyme infused with heavy cream and rich chicken stock is the key to this tasty dish.


Potatoes were peeled and submerged in water two days prior to cooking. And it took just minutes to slice 8 pounds of potatoes I needed on this Japanese Mandolin Slicer. But a big WARNING first: this is NOT for hurried or novice cooks! I have scars to show you on my fingers so please be CAREFUL when using this. Though this slicer is what we use in our kitchen, there are others which have better safety rating from Amazon consumers.


Once cream and broth mixture is steaming, add sliced potatoes and cook until transparent but not fully cooked.


Put half of the potato mixture into the prepared pan, add cheese, then pour remaining potatoes. Top with more cheese and cover tightly with heavy duty foil and bake. After about 50+ minutes, uncover and bake until cheese browns.




Your family and friends will love this simple and delicious scalloped potatoes. So give this a try for your upcoming gathering.

And Merry Christmas to you all! May God's Peace fill your hearts and your homes this Christmas and New Year!


Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, more for garnish
2 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon softened butter to grease the pan
2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup of your favorite cheese blend


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel potatoes and submerge them in cold water until ready to slice.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of corn starch in chicken broth, stir to dissolve.

In a large skillet in medium heat, heat up the cream, and fresh chopped thyme, add grated garlic and nutmeg. Add broth and corn starch mixture and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. While cream is heating up, butter a 9 x 13 casserole dish and set aside.

Using Janpanese mandolin slicer or a knife, cut peeled potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices. Put potato slices in the hot cream and broth mixture and cook for a few minutes until potatoes are transparent but not fully cooked (this gives a little head start on the potatoes).

Pour half of the potato mixture into the prepared baking pan, sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese blend, half of grated Parmesan cheese. Pour remaining potatoes and cream mixture, top with cheeses and tightly cover the pan with heavy duty foil sheet. Bake covered 45 to 50 minutes until potatoes are fully cooked. Uncover and bake until cheese browns, another 5 to 10 minutes.

Let casserole rest for 5 minutes out of the oven, sprinkle with extra chopped fresh thyme and serve immediately.

Make Ahead Tips:

Potatoes can be peeled and submerged in cold water and refrigerated up to 2 days.
For full-size steam pans, multiply recipe x4. Add cooking time.


10 comments:

  1. thanks for the recipe.. i love potatoes.

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  2. this is another one i'm snitching, thanks for sharing!!!!
    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  3. Mmm, divine! And your poor scarred hands--I flinch at the mere thought!

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  4. I can't wait to try these; the potatoes look so creamm and cheesy.
    I was supposed to help with a dinner for our sectional pastors and wives last week, but ended up ill instead. It is enjoyable to cook for them and they're always appreciative.
    Hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

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  5. Your potatoes look delicious! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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  6. I can't wait to try those, they look wonderful. Merry Christmas to you.

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  7. A favorite in this house! Yours looks delicious, can't wait to try these.
    mickey

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  8. OMG-Kay, I love these creamy scalloped potatoes. So comforting and oh, soooo good!. Bookmarked to copy and print out!
    So funny, not LOL funny, but coincidence about the Japanese mandolin slicer. I've had mine for at least 15yrs, the entire set, also for grating, and still use it today. The plastic ones work just as well, if not better than the expensive restaurant kind, very sharp, indeed...like a razor!

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  9. Another winning recipe from Ms. Kay! I saw these on Tasty Kitchen this morning! I've never have made them myself, so I guess they are something that needs to go onto my Make it or Bake it list! ~Megan

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  10. Thank you everyone! And so great to hear from you, Elisabeth. Thank you, Megan and letting me know about this recipe feature! Always so happy to be featured on TK....love that site! :)

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