Scalloped Potatoes
Chef Jesse Houston
Fine & Dandy
Jackson, Miss.
Looking for a comforting side dish like grandma might have made? Chef Jesse Houston offers up a creamy, cheesy version of scalloped potatoes, but gives the recipe a modern twist by using smoked cheddar and a topping of crisp cornflakes for contrasting texture.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 tbsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 1/2 cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese, divided (1 1/4 cups
for sauce, 1 cup for layers, 1/4 cup for cornflake topping)
10 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup cornflakes
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In large saucepot, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic; cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Add in flour and gently stir, making a roux. Cook over medium heat until there is no raw flour taste, about 5 minutes; do not allow the roux to darken. Stirring constantly, add the milk a little at a time, allowing the sauce to thicken slowly.
3. Whisk in paprika and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Gradually whisk in 1 1/4 cups of the smoked cheddar, allowing the cheese to melt smoothly. Once all the cheese has been incorporated,
remove pot from heat.
4. Grease a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Line bottom of baking dish with one-third of the sliced
potatoes, allowing them to overlap a bit. Sprinkle 1/3 teaspoon kosher salt over top. Spread a third of the cheese sauce over the layered potatoes and top with 1/3 cup shredded cheddar.
Repeat layers until you have three total layers, ending with 1/3 cup shredded cheddar.
5. Cover dish with foil and bake until brown and bubbly, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. In small bowl, mix cornflakes with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheddar. Remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle cornflake mixture on top. Return to oven, uncovered, and cook until cornflakes are slightly browned and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes.
Photograph courtesy of Idaho Potato Commission