Simple Scalloped Potatoes from scratch, easy and creamy

These simple scalloped potatoes from scratch are the perfect comfort food, with a creamy white sauce smothering layers of potatoes, topped with golden baked cheese.

Add a pound of ground beef or elk to this dish to create a simple entree that easily covers two meals (depending on the size of your family, of course!).

A quick side of veggies or salad and have a filling, delicious meal on the table. This recipe is made with natural ingredients, no canned soups!

Hangry (hang-gree)

adj. slang

Feeling irritable or irrationally angry as a result of being hungry.

han-gri-er, han-gri-est

As a mom of 5 boys, I know the definition of hangry.  

As a homeschool family, mealtimes are a sort of pillar in our day. I tend to be more of a ‘free spirit’ when it comes to scheduling, however people need to eat. I can’t afford to be overly flexible with mealtimes or else I get up close and personal with “Hangry”.

In this season of my life, I only cook simple, homestyle recipes. Meat, starch, veggies. Don’t you find that thinking of what to make every single day is actually harder than making it? Decision fatigue is real.

If you’re looking for a hearty meal that you can prep before hand and have easy leftovers, try these homemade scalloped potatoes.

I often add a package of ground beef to this recipe, because I figure if I’m putting in the effort it better serve us well. Make it a main course.  

Simple Scalloped Potatoes from scratch

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter

1/2 c all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

3 1/2- 4 cups milk

6 medium potatoes

1 onion or 1 tsp onion powder or garlic powder

Step one:

Optional: Fry 1-2 pounds of ground meat. I use plain ground beef or ground elk. Preheat oven to 350.

Step two:

While the beef is browning, peel your potatoes. Use whatever you have on hand; Yukon gold potatoes, russet potatoes, red potatoes. No need to be fussy.

Slice the potatoes thinly. A mandolin slicer is handy here, but I keep my kitchen very minimal (especially after living in a tiny house) so I just slice them by hand. Place your sliced potatoes in a bowl and cover with cold water. This will keep them from turning brown while you prepare the creamy sauce. 

Step three:

In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt butter. Add salt and pepper. While its heating, chop a small onion and add it to the butter to saute.

When the onions are soft, add 1/4 c flour and stir to combine. This is a roux. You can be creative and make all sorts of gravies and sauces from this point on. Slowly pour in milk (you can substitute 1 cup of milk for 1 cup of beef broth, if you are adding fried hamburger, or add one cup of heavy cream to make a delicious rich cream sauce). Whisk the sauce constantly while the milk is heating and coming to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. As it simmers it will thicken. Remove from heat. 

Step four: 

In a 9×13 casserole dish, layer your thin slices of potato (as well as all of the ground beef if applicable), and cover with 1/2 of the sauce. Spread the remain layer of potatoes on top and pour remaining cream sauce over. If you find that your sauce is on the thick side, just pour some milk right on top of the casserole. 

Step five:

Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 50 minutes. 

Step six: 

Grate 1-2 cups of cheddar cheese. After 50 minutes, pierce potatoes with a fork and if they are tender remover the potato casserole from the oven.  Sprinkle cheese on top. Add some parmesan cheese as well. Return to oven uncovered for 10 min. Or if you like to take your life in your own hands, broil the casserole for a few minutes to melt the cheese golden brown. 

If you’ve already added you protein to your casserole, a simple salad would be the perfect side dish. And you’re done! 

For some reason, I always think that we need to have baked ham with these ‘simple scalloped potatoes from scratch’! Check out my recipe for Honey Mustard Glazed ham, here. 

How about trying our favourite Pumpkin Pie for dessert? My kids love it so much we eat it year round, not just at Thanksgiving! Its super simple made with honey and cream.

Variations:

Next time, try adding the shredded cheddar cheese right into the cream sauce to make ultra cheesy potatoes. Once the cream sauce is thickened, add your cheese and stir to melt, then continue as directed to construct this impressive side dish. 

Comment if you’ve added different proteins to your scalloped potatoes and what you thought! Shredded chicken? Leftover roast? Pork chops? Tuna? Ground turkey? Don’t be afraid to be creative using up whats in your fridge. 

Make ahead as a freezer meal. Add a splash of milk before you reheat it to ensure its creamy enough since the potatoes absorb some of the liquid as they rest. Cover with tin foil and reheat for 1 1/2 hrs at 350, or until heated through. *Take it out the night before and defrost it in the fridge to reduce your cooking time to 1 hour. 

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Pondering why we even bother with this counter-cultural lifestyle, here.

A silly, short story about a trip to British Columbia, Canada, and avalanches.