Loaded Scalloped Potatoes

We are celebrating November birthdays for our John L. Scott Bothell and Mukilteo real estate professionals by sharing this Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe! ENJOY!

Beautiful, perfectly cooked Scalloped Potatoes are a classic that you’ll fall in love with after just one bite! Tender, thinly sliced potatoes are baked in a rich, creamy sauce for a side dish that’s excellent to serve alongside any main course and is a must-make for the holidays.

What You’ll Need

You’ll be surprised to learn how few ingredients are needed to make this mouth watering side dish. With so few ingredients, take care to pick the highest quality ingredients possible for phenomenal results.

Potatoes. You can’t go wrong with either Russet or Yukon gold potatoes. Yukon's are nice because they have thinner skins meaning you don’t need to peel them. They also have a buttery flavor.
Cheese. If you want to kick things up a notch, pick up some Gruyere and Vermont Cheddar.
Milk. This is definitely an important ingredient. Whole milk will give a richer roux and overall flavor.
Onions. The recipe calls for yellow onions but sweet onions would also work here. Just make sure to thinly slice before caramelizing. You can use a mandoline.
Olive Oil.
Butter & Flour. These two ingredients are the base of the roux, or white sauce that the potatoes will be cooked in.
Bacon. Thick cut bacon is a great option for this recipe.

How To Make Scalloped Potatoes From Scratch

These cheesy scalloped potatoes are a dream come true. Scalloped potato recipes with ham - why only ham?! Scalloped potatoes with ham are delicious, sure. But a scalloped potato recipe with bacon? Even better!

Making homemade scalloped potatoes is easier than you might think.

Caramelize onions. Add olive oil to a medium skillet. Add thinly sliced onion and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions become caramel in color. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Cook bacon until crisp. You can bake the bacon while the onions are cooking, saving a little time.
Make the roux. Melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour on top of butter and whisk. Cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Bring roux to a simmer and let thicken just slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes after coming to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble. Layer half of the potatoes, half of the caramelized onions, half the bacon, half the cheese, and half the sauce, in that order in the prepared baking dish. Repeat.
Bake. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:

The thinner you slice the potatoes the quicker the scalloped potatoes bake up. Use a mandoline to make quick work of this.
Check the harvest date on your bottle of olive oil. You want it to be within the past year. Olive oil has a short shelf life and is best used up within a year!

You've got this!

Scalloped potatoes are one of those side dishes that magically go with everything. Unlike mashed potatoes, you don’t need to top them with gravy or anything like that. They are perfect on their own.

To make scalloped potatoes ahead of time:

Follow all steps through baking, covered, for the first hour.
Remove from oven and let cool completely. (Keep foil on.)
Make sure casserole is wrapped well and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
On serving day, remove from the fridge 1 hour before baking. Bake uncovered about 35 to 45 minutes or until heated through.

Recipe:

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 onions medium, thinly sliced
12 oz bacon cooked and crumbled
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp all purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
3 lbs potatoes thinly sliced (yukon or russet)
8 oz cheese - a combo of sharp cheddar and gruyere or any cheese will work
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13 or deep 9x9 baking dish with butter and set aside.
Add olive oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onion and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions become caramel in color. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Wipe skillet clean and cook bacon until crisp. You can alternatively bake the bacon while the onions are cooking, saving a little time. Remove bacon from skillet, drain grease, and wipe clean again.
Melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour on top of butter and whisk to form a roux. Cook for 2 minutes.
Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Bring roux to a simmer and let thicken just slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes after coming to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Assembly

Layer half of the potatoes, half of the caramelized onions, half the bacon, half the cheese, and half the sauce, in that order in the prepared baking dish. Repeat.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bak an additional 30 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.