Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

There are many ways to make delicious scalloped potatoes. For this version, I consulted several books—Kitchen Sense, two James Beards, and the Joy of Cooking. Basically you layer thinly sliced potatoes with any number of extras—cheese, onions, parsley—add milk or cream, and bake. The potatoes absorb the liquid as they cook, the cheese melts, the top gets browned.

One tip: use a shallow casserole dish. The one I used here ended up stacking the potatoes a little too high and I had to add a half hour or so to the cooking time. What you don’t want is crispy browned on top and not-cooked-enough potatoes inside. If you need a faster cooking time, Joy of Cooking recommends parboiling the potatoes first for a few minutes.

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

You'll need 2 slices of cooked bacon for this recipe, so start the bacon cooking and then prep the other ingredients.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 lbs (about 4 medium sized) Russet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1 large yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives (optional)
• 2 thick slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 1/2 cups grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 2 1/2 cups to 3 cups of half-and-half (half milk, half cream)
• Salt and pepper

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