Scalloped potatoes, step aside! These cheesy holiday potatoes, adapted from Tried and Tasty, are taking center stage as the most devoured side dish on the holiday dinner table.
The holiday meal wouldn’t be complete without a carb-loaded comfort food dish of potatoes. Scalloped potatoes, with their thin slices of potatoes baked in a cream sauce, are rarely turned down, but they are served so often they tend not to inspire much excitement. Not so with our rendition of cheesy holiday potatoes!
ALSO TRY: Cheesy scalloped potatoes
Featuring thick fry-size strips of potatoes bathed in a rich homemade cream sauce, topped with onions and cheddar cheese, then baked to fork-tender perfection, this holiday potato recipe puts all others to shame.
Not a fan of cheddar cheese? No problem! Swap in your favorite cheese. Try shredded pepper jack or a garlic-herb Monterey jack. For a smoky flavor, add shredded smoked gouda and provolone. Give it Italian flair by using a combination of mozzarella and freshly shaved Parmesan. Go with a blend of gruyere, Havarti, and gorgonzola. Be daring, be creative — you simply can’t go wrong pairing russet potatoes with cheese.
A word about potatoes: If you don’t have russets in your pantry, you can make this recipe with Yukon golds or another all-purpose white potato. Red potatoes are typically waxier and less starchy. They can be used in a pinch for this recipe but won’t have the same texture as russets.
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Make a roux
A mixture of melted butter and flour, referred to as a roux, will become the thickener for the white sauce in these cheesy potatoes. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle with flour and stir continuously until a roux, or thick paste, forms.
Add milk and cream to make a sauce
Slowly whisk in the milk, lower the heat, and cook until the mixture is creamy and slightly thickened. Whisk in the cream and cook until it is warm. Set the sauce aside.
Prepare the potatoes
Unlike scalloped potatoes, which are sliced, these potatoes are cut into fry-shaped pieces. Lay the fries in a casserole dish and cover with the white sauce. Spread a layer of onions on top of the sauce and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and fresh parsley.
Bake the potatoes
Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and use a sharp knife to poke a few slits in the foil to allow steam to escape while the potatoes bake. Bake on the middle oven rack at 400F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. During the last 15 minutes of baking time, transfer the casserole dish to the bottom rack to crisp and brown the bottom of the potatoes. Serve hot.
Cheesy side dish perfection!
Carmelized onions, tender potatoes, and luscious cheese make for a glorious combo
This dish will be a hit with your holiday guests
So flavorful and rich
Incredibly simple to prepare
Dig in!
Cheesy holiday potatoes
Yield 8-10 servings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 5 large russet potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch wide strips
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Sauce
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir until well-combined and a roux, or thick paste, forms.
- Slowly whisk in milk and cook on low heat until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened.
- Whisk cream into the milk mixture.
- Set sauce aside.
Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Lay fries out in a casserole dish.
- Pour sauce evenly over top of fries.
- Spread a layer of sliced onions on top of sauce.
- Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top of the onions.
- Sprinkle with minced Italian parsley.
- Cover dish with foil, and poke holes through the top of the foil 5 to 6 times to allow steam to escape.
- Place casserole on the middle rack of the oven.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- During the last 15 minutes of baking time, transfer the casserole to a lower rack in the oven. This ensures a brown and crispy crust on the bottom of the fries.
- Serve hot.
Courses Side dish
