Old-Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes Recipe - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

What is the one trick Michael Symon uses to make perfect scalloped potatoes? ›

Surprisingly, aluminum foil is his secret weapon. After beautifully shingling the potatoes (he's got a genius trick for doing this quickly, too) he covers the dish in foil before hitting the oven.

My scalloped potatoes are bland

They are also in need of serious seasoning to ensure deliciousness. Make sure your sauce is well-seasoned, but also, season each layer of potatoes with salt and pepper before adding the sauce, to make sure they are as flavorful as you want them!

Potatoes or rice can remain rock-hard after prolonged cooking. Starch will not swell if it is acidic. If you have a lot of sour cream in your scalloped potatoes or add something acidic, your potatoes may not soften. You can cook the potatoes with heavy cream or milk and then, after they soften, stir in sour cream.

Proper storage and handling

Do not refrigerate or freeze fresh potatoes before cooking. Colder temperatures lower than 50 degrees cause a potato's starch to convert to sugar, resulting in a sweet taste and discoloration when cooked. There is no need to store your potatoes in a bag; you can store them loose.

Thankfully, there's a simple and effective solution to this problem: Use instant potato flakes. Instant potato flakes are an excellent thickening agent made from real potatoes that have been cooked, mashed, and then dried.

The best potatoes to use for a homemade scalloped potato recipes like this one are baking/frying potatoes, either russet or Idaho. They have dry, light, and fluffy interiors that hold their shape when cooked. The starch in the potatoes helps to thicken the sauce while the casserole bakes.

Bake: Place the dish with the scalloped potatoes in the preheated oven. Bake according to the instructions provided on the packaging, which is usually around 30–40 minutes. Always refer to the specific time and temperature recommendations provided with your product.

Oven cook - From Chilled 1 Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). 2 Remove tray from package and remove film. 3 Place container on baking tray and heat in oven for 20-22 minutes or until bubbly around edges. (Caution: Product and package may be hot.)

If raw, once the potato is cut you can store in the refrigerator, covered with water for 12-24 hours. Be sure to keep submerged in water to prevent slices from turning gray or brown.

But it can be frustrating when the creamy sauce and cheese separate or look curdled. The good news is that the dish tastes just fine, even when it looks a little strange. The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven.

Why did my scalloped potatoes turn brown? ›

This process, which is called oxidation, happens because potatoes are a naturally starchy vegetable. And when exposed to oxygen, starches turn gray, brown, or even black. An oxidized potato is completely safe to eat. The process doesn't affect the flavor or texture of the vegetable.

A trick we use to help us know when our scalloped potatoes are ready is poking a fork through the middle. If the fork goes through with ease, that means the potatoes are ready!

Scalloped potatoes at the very least call for milk, but milk can very easily curdle in the oven and render your cream sauce clumpy and unappetizing. In many cases, curdling is the result of your dairy not containing enough fat to keep the protein molecules from binding to each other and creating clumps.

Prepare the recipe as directed, then let it cool to room temperature. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If the recipe has cheese, breadcrumbs, herbs, or any other toppings, reserve it and add it before reheating.

The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven. Instead of simply layering grated cheese and milk or cream with the potatoes, you need to make a smooth cheese sauce.

Watery scalloped potatoes are not good, and is often caused by using the wrong type of potato. This recipe requires starchy potatoes, such as russets or Yukon golds, not waxy potatoes. Another cause is washing or holding the sliced potatoes in water (as outlined in the question above).

Poke the potatoes with a fork just enough to pierce the skin so the potato won't burst when baking, especially in the microwave. Four or five times should be plenty. A potato is composed mainly of water, so poking them helps release steam as it cooks.

**Faster Cooking:** By releasing steam, you're effectively allowing heat to penetrate the potato more efficiently. This speeds up the cooking process because the heat can reach the center of the potato more quickly.