Name: Holiday Scalloped Potatoes
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 small onion , minced; 2 medium cloves garlic , minced (about 2 teaspoons); 3 cups heavy cream; 1 cup whole milk; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; 2 teaspoons table salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 4 pounds russet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Why This Recipe Works

In our experience, most scalloped potatoes recipes take over two hours and still produce unevenly cooked potatoes in a heavy, curdled sauce. To minimize the cooking time while winding up with layers of thinly sliced, tender potatoes, creamy sauce, and a nicely browned, cheesy crust, we didn’t use flour to thicken the sauce but instead relied on heavy cream lightened with a little whole milk. To cut cooking time in our scalloped potatoes recipe, we simmered the potatoes briefly in the cream and then dumped the whole mixture in a baking dish. Russet potatoes, thinly sliced, gave us neat layers with the best texture and flavor.

Before You Begin

For the fastest and most consistent results, slice the potatoes in a food processor.

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until foaming subsides, about 1 minute. Add onion and sauté until it turns soft and begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream, milk, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and potatoes and bring to simmer. Cover, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain light simmer, and cook until potatoes are almost tender (paring knife can be slipped into and out of center of potato slice with some resistance), about 15 minutes.

Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Transfer potato mixture to 3-quart gratin dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cream has thickened and is bubbling around sides and top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.