Next-Level Scalloped Potatoes!
Today's recipe has a bit of a weird inspiration/backstory - it all started with a Boxing Day trip to Walmart to snag cheapo gift sets for an upcoming party and gift swap.
It was early enough that the store was blissfully empty and quiet, but we were in a rush to get home and get to work. We decided to pick up a couple food items needed for the coming days. En route to pick up the cheapest, smelliest tuna they had (the cats prefer it that way!), I noticed something from the corner of my eye: Jalapeno cheddar instant scalloped potatoes. It kinda stopped me dead in my tracks- why hadn't I ever thought to put jalapeno in scalloped potatoes. It was an epiphany!
We ALMOST bought it, but (at least!) one too many childhood experiences with dehydrated "Hamburger Helper" type potato products got in the way. Besides, we had potatoes and almost a litre of heavy whipping cream at home left over from other recipes, I'd just make my own from scratch.
After adding everything I wanted to it - beer, because I LOVE beer as an ingredient when it comes to cheese (even if I won't drink beer as a beverage!), onions, garlic... it was amazing. The sauce almost didn't make it to the potatoes, from uh.. "quality control". 🙂
The smell coming out of the oven was maddening. Why is it that the recipes that put out the most tantalizing smells seem to start doing so the earliest in their cook times, and have the LONGEST cook times? I was very frustrated, and was pretty ravenous by the time it finished cooking - maybe not the best thing to make first thing in the morning, for breakfast!
Actually, I lie. It WAS the best thing to make for breakfast. SO GOOD. I love potatoes almost any way you could come up with making them (Yes, I live up to most stereotypes for my Irish heritage!), but this was WAY beyond any scalloped potatoes I'd ever had/made before. Hey, let me ask my husband for a 6 am, getting ready for work, several days after the fact food review!
"Well, they're obviously much better than anything I've had from a box, all fancy and stuff. I liked the little bit of zip from the 2 large jalapenos - it was great heat level for breakfast or lunch. For dinner, I like this a little more spicy so would add more jalapenos."
So there you have it. "All fancy and stuff". 🙂
Enjoy!
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Next-Level Scalloped Potatoes (Gluten-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 Large Jalapenos seeded and finely chopped
- 1 Small Onion finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves pressed or minced
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- ¼ cup White Rice Flour*
- 1 cup Gluten-Free Beer*
- 3 cups Heavy Cream **
- 1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- 4 lbs Red Potatoes washed
- Pan Spray
- 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- In a medium or large saucepan, combine jalapenos, onion, garlic, and butter. Sautee for a few minutes, until onion and peppers soften up a little.
- Add rice flour, whisk until well distributed and free of clumps.
- Add beer, whisking well until smooth. Add heavy cream, continuing to whisk, until smooth. Bring to a boil.
- As mixture starts to boil, add shredded jack cheese, continue stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Peel potatoes if you like – we don’t bother, we like the skins! – and slice VERY thinly. I like to use a mandolin, as it saves time.
- Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish, and layer about a third of the potatoes in there. Pour a third of the sauce over it, tilting the pan to let it seep through the layers.
- Layer another third of the potatoes, pouring another third of the sauce over it. Repeat one more time, using up the remaining potatoes and sauce. Cover with foil.
- Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil, return to oven for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven, scatter cheddar cheese evenly over the top, and return to the pven for another 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.
- Serve hot!
Notes
Nutrition
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