Scalloped Potatoes

Funny story…I used to hate potatoes! My entire life, I refused to eat even the tiniest morsel. I tried them with cheese, mashed, diced, soaked in butter. Nothing helped cover the disgusting flavor or the mushy texture. Once I got pregnant, that is all I craved! Now, even after having my child, I will still eat potatoes anyway I can get them! Scalloped potatoes are some of my favorites, probably because…well, cheese!

I make this recipe AT least once a month, and there are absolutely no leftovers. Try them out for yourself, and you’ll see why.

Ingredients:

• 2.5-3 lbs Yukon potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 white onion, diced
• 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Scrub and clean potatoes. Thinly slice each potato about 1/8 inch thin. You do not have to peel potatoes, but can if desired. Set potatoes aside.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a medium pot on medium heat, melt butter. Once melted, add diced onions and minced garlic, and let cook until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes). Watch them so they do not brown!
4. Stir in the flour until combined. Add milk, chicken broth, thyme, and salt. Mix together and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce for a few minutes until it starts to thicken, stirring continuously.
5. Remove from heat and add cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan. Stir to combine. It’s okay if the cheese does not melt completely.
6. Grease 9×13 inch casserole dish. Add 1/3 of the potatoes to the dish, covering it with 1/3 of the cheese sauce mixture. Repeat until potatoes and cheese sauce is gone (there should be 3 alternate layers).
7. Cover casserole dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and uncover dish. Return to oven and bake for another 35-45 minutes.
8. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool, then serve and enjoy!

Tips:

• You can use the store bought shredded cheese in a bag, but it works MUCH better if you shred the cheese yourself.
• Highly recommend using a mandolin to cut the potatoes. They will all be the same width which will help them cook more evenly, and it is a huge time saver. If you don’t have one, a knife will still work just fine.
• Evenly spread out your potatoes and cheese sauce in the dish so the potatoes can all cook thoroughly. If all potatoes are touching the cheese sauce, this will help them cook evenly.