Scalloped Potatoes
Savory Scalloped Potatoes baked in a rich, creamy cheese sauce with bacon makes the perfect side dish for any favorite meal and is a delightful addition to any holiday spread!
Servings:6 servings
Ingredients
- 6 cups thinly sliced gold potatoes, approx 2 1/2 lbs
- 8 strips of bacon, cooked til crisp and roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups milk, do not use skim milk
- ¾ cup half & half, or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- dash of cayenne pepper, if you have it
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 3/4 cup shredded gruyère cheese , divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for a few minutes to cook the ‘raw’ taste out of the flour.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and once smooth remove from the heat.
- Whisk in the half and half, salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, thyme leaves and a generous amount of black pepper, along with half the cheddar and half the gruyère cheese. Once the cheese has melted check if you want to add any more salt or pepper to the sauce.
- Gradually fold the potatoes and the bacon bits into the sauce. (If you add them all at once, it will be harder to coat all the potato pieces.)
- Transfer the potato mixture to a large baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
Notes
Using bacon bits: To crisp up the bacon bits place them in a heat-safe dish and microwave them for about 20-30 seconds. They crisp up nicely and taste so much better!
Vegetarian option: To make this dish vegetarian you can happily omit the bacon, you just may want to add a little more salt to the white sauce. Do make sure the cheese you are using is suitable for vegetarians.
Gruyere cheese substitute: The gruyère cheese can be substituted for another 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese or parmesan, or any other hard cheese you prefer that melts and browns well.
Nutrition
Calories: 491 kcal, Carbohydrates: 50 g, Protein: 19 g, Fat: 24 g, Saturated Fat: 11 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g, Trans Fat: 0.04 g, Cholesterol: 58 mg, Sodium: 756 mg, Potassium: 1236 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 7 g, Vitamin A: 461 IU, Vitamin C: 48 mg, Calcium: 375 mg, Iron: 2 mg