Scalloped potatoes have two things working for them; they are creamy and also easy to make. Like the potato au gratin, this side dish has also taken its place at many dinner tables as it is a favorite too in many homes. Apart from being easy to make, this potato casserole also goes with anything. However, even though it’s easy to make, many people don’t really make it anymore because people just can’t seem to get them right.
Tips to Get It Right
If you want to get much better at making potato au gratin, then these tips will help you get it right.
- Pick the Right Type of Potatoes
To make a creamy sauce, you need a potato with just enough starch; this is why getting the potatoes right is essential. Too much starch, and it will get too thick or gloppy. Look out for waxy, buttery and thin-skinned potatoes like Yukon Golds. It has just the right quantity of start, and its high-water content makes it even more ideal while helping the potatoes retain their shape while getting steamed.
- Stay on the Thin Side
Even though scalloped potatoes are not cut as thinly as potato au gratin, they still need to be thin and uniformed. If you have a mandoline slicer, this might be the right time to break it out. It will help your scalloped potato turn out perfectly. Mandolines might have sharp blades, but if you carefully use the handguard, you’ll be fine. If you don’t have a mandoline, a very sharp knife will do just fine.
- Flavors Matter
Like the potato au gratin, flavors are important with the scalloped potato dish. Make sure the cream and milk sauce are properly infused with nutmeg, thyme, and garlic to add all the extra flavors needed to your prepared dish. Note that the thyme must be fresh to get the flavor right.
- Avoid Letting the Milk Curdle
Imagine taking your dish out of the oven, expecting perfection and finding the milk curdled. Many things could lead to this, like the heat being too much for the dish. To avoid this, stick with 325° Fahrenheit. Another thing that could make the milk curdle be adding garlic and onion to the dish; ensure you cook them a bit first before adding them. Also, check out the type of milk; fresh and high-fat milk curdles less.
- Cook Only until Your Dish is Tender
It is easy to overcook casseroles, and when overcooked, several things like the milk curdling and the potatoes turning to mush could happen. Nobody wants that, so just cook this potato casserole till it is fork-tender. This will help you know when they are appropriately cooked and should be taken out.
Let it rest a bit, and you are set.
