Scalloped Potatoes

I don't usually make good scalloped potatoes. There, I said it. But it's true - usually over/under cooked, curdled sauce (as SO reminded me), or just plain boring. Well this was none of those things, an actually very tasty. Cheesy, but not too much, cooked just enough, and flavour to boot. This was actually a sit-down Sunday dinner type thing, one of our stand-bys - a ham from the butcher, some form of potatoes, and peas. Is cheap to make, and there's always lots of leftovers for lunches. And to think I didn't even use cream this time - didn't really need it. No really!

Scalloped Potatoes

I have to say the key was both bacon and the cheese combo. The bacon - although somewhat redundant because of the ham - replaces the usual butter and gives lots of yummy flavour. The cheese combo was good quality old cheddar and Parmesan.  The cheddar gave it a bit of ooey gooey, and the Parmesan browned a bit and gave even more flavour. I'm going to make it like this from now on.

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Peas

Next time: wouldn't change much I don't think

Me: 10/10
SO: 9/10
SSO: 1/10

Scalloped Potatoes
This was enough for a dinner for 3, then 4 packed lunches.
Ingredients

• 3-5 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces
• 2 or 3 small onions, or equivalent, diced
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp of dried Thyme (or to your taste). Use fresh if you have it, but you'll need 2 Tbsp
• 3 or 4 bay leaves
• around 1/2 cup stock (veg, chicken, beef, doesn't matter too much)
• around 1 cup milk
• salt & pepper
• 5-6 medium potatoes, sliced thin'ish with your trusty mandolin (just wash, don't peel!)
• large handful old cheddar, grated
• 1 cup or so grated parmesan, plus 2 or 3 Tbsp for the sauce

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350.
2. Throw the bacon pieces into a large dutch oven, and cook until fat is rendered but before it gets crispy
3. Unless there is a huge amount of bacon fat, leave it all in the pot and throw in the onions until they get soft. Add the garlic and stir for a minute.
4. Add the thyme, bay leaves, stock, milk, salt & pepper, and 2 Tb of parmesan. Mix it all up.
5. Add the potatoes and carefully stir until well coated. Put a lid on, and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the potatoes and sauce to a baking dish, put a lid on and bake for half an hour or so.
7. Take the lid off, sprinkle the cheddar, then evenly spread the Parmesan. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes or so. Watch that the cheese doesn't brown too much. You may want to broil for a couple minutes just to get some colour.