My mom did it the same way, without the cheese slices, and I followed suit. Then we started adding mushroom soup to it, mixed with milk and butter and heated.

Now I make a roux from the flour and milk and salt and pepper, and pour it over the potatoes and onions and more milk on top. Everything is nice and creamy.

Sometimes with the sprinkling of flour in the layers, I would come across a dry patch of flour, in the past.

I layer the sliced potatoes and onions and shredded cheese. Then I make a cheesy cream sauce and pour it over the layers. Top with more shredded cheese.

I guess this would be more Au Gratin than Scalloped.

Good luck!

My mother made it that way and I still make it that! It's delicious.

This recipe would probably have to be planned ahead and I did. I plan to make it to take to DD#2 this evening....wish me luck!

Muffin Tin Onion Gruyere Potato Stacks

5 baking potatoes
2 onions, chopped
6 TBS butter
1 1/2 cups grated cheese, Gruyere or cheddar
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
heavy cream or half and half
cooking spray
thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Thinly slice raw potatoes. I use a Mandoline but they can be carefully hand sliced into thin even slices. Set aside.
Melt butter (about 4 TBS) in a large skillet and saute onion over a low heat until translucent and slightly golden. Add 2-4 TBS butter in the pan and melt the butter. Set aside.

Grate cheese. Gruyere is my favorite but cheddar works great too! Set aside.

Spray all twelve muffin cups of a regular size muffin pan.

Add 1 slice of potato to the bottom of each muffin cup. Salt and pepper. Add 1 more slice of potato. Top each potato evenly with 1/2 onion and butter. Add 2 more potato slices. Sprinkle 1/2 grated cheese evenly over potatoes. Add 1 more potato slice and salt and pepper. Add 1 more potato slice and evenly add the remaining 1/2 of onion and butter. Add 1 or 2 potato slices and top evenly with remaining cheese.

Pour 1 TBS cream over each potato stack.

Bake for 35 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Run a sharp knife around the edges of each muffin cup and pop each stack out with a fork.

Garnish with thyme.

I simmer the potato slices in milk or a milk cream mixture until barely tender. The starch from the potatoes thickens the cream without the need for flour.

I then layer the partially cooked potato slices, sliced onion a bit of thyme, salt, pepper and grated cheese. Repeating as many times as I have potatoes.

Then I pour the milk the potatoes simmered in over everything, adding a bit more milk if I need to and top with grated cheese.

Perfect every time...

I make a bechamel sauce and layer the ingredients. So, in a buttered casserole dish: a layer of sliced potatoes and then some diced onion, salt, pepper and a dash of dried thyme, then some sauce, repeat. Sometimes I will add a bit of grated cheddar in between one of the layers.

Thanks everyone! Now I feel better about doing it the way mom did :) The one thing that I'm not sure about is the amt of milk to use (pouring it over all the ingredients. Should it come just to the top layer or less?

Chase, I like the idea of simmering the potatoes in the milk :) Eveyone's version sounds yummy!

I would say yes, but make sure you use at least 2% or whole milk. As I keep neither in the house I make a mixture from half and half and skim.

I think the reason "recipes' exist now is because of the nebulousness of doing it Mom's way. How much flour? How many onions? etc.

If you aren't comfortable doing it without a recipe then follow one this time. It's ok!

I make scalloped potatoes when I need to to use up leftover ham, it gets layered in and is a family favorite.

Yeah, as I was pouring the 2% milk over the potatoes, I thought, hummm, this would have probably worked better with at least whole if not 1/2 and 1/2. Well, I told my daughter I'm bringing baked beans the BBQ brisket dinner and if all goes well, scalloped potatoes. Keep your fingers crossed and again, thanks for the quick and helpful replies :)
Monica

I've partially cooked the potatoes first as Chase does. My problem is remembering to do it!

Jude, I've made those potatoes a few times. Delicious!

I've never used anything but 1% milk in my scalloped potatoes.

Be sure and put your dish on a cookie sheet in case it boils over Monica.

Monica, simmering them in the milk first really works well but make sure you don't over cook them. You want them still firm , not even as much as fork tender....just a few minutes.

Monica, I made scalloped potatoes that way for years, then I learned to make a sauce and pour over the potatoes and it was creamier and I could judge the thickeness of the sauce. my girls liked it very thick and creamy.

Jude, those potatoes sound awesome, be sure to let me know how they were, I think I'm going to have to try them....

Annie

my mother taught me to make scalloped potato by layering the ingredients like you recall. I had trouble over the years with them getting curdled. I now make a white sauce and layer the potato, onion, and sauce into the casserole. And left over ham makes it a meal, but I have also added cooked sausage or cooked hamburger to make it a meal.

My mother had a saladmaster rotary slicer and we always used the scalloped cut blade. It made the potato dish really special.

I also make my scallop potatoes by simmering the slices in cream. I also add a little minced garlic and fresh thyme. Been making them this way for over 30 years. Like Sharon mentioned, I don't cook them until tender. Just until the russet potatoes release their starch and thicken the sauce. This method makes for a very creamy sauce with out the addition of flour. Add a little fresh grated parmesan or favourite cheese.

~Ann

I haven't made scalloped potatoes in YEARS! Just had to kinda wing it by trying to remember how mom did it and getting tips here.
Well, they were absolutely the hit of the Mother's Day dinner and totally...GONE! I thought I'd made way more than we would need. Layered sliced potatoes, salt&pepper, chopped onion, flour, butter and cheese. Poured in enough milk to come just over the top. Covered and cooked at 350 for an hour and 50 minutes. Removed foil and cooked under broiler till brown and bubbly.
Thanks for all the advice :)
Monica

Well, Jasdip I'm glad you were successful with the muffin tin potatoes. I made them yesterday, and they tasted great, but....although I cooked them as long as they were supposed to, only the tops were crispy and even though they were tender they had a good bit of moisture in the cups. Took them to DD#3's for dinner and had I stayed at home I would have paid more attention to the "crustiness". Glad they tasted good because I sure didn't want to waste that good Gruyere cheese.

Annie, ignore my semi-failure because they are really good and I may cut the recipe in half and try again.

jude

Well, Jasdip I'm glad you were successful with the muffin tin potatoes. I made them yesterday, and they tasted great, but....although I cooked them as long as they were supposed to, only the tops were crispy and even though they were tender they had a good bit of moisture in the cups. Took them to DD#3's for dinner and had I stayed at home I would have paid more attention to the "crustiness". Glad they tasted good because I sure didn't want to waste that good Gruyere cheese.

Annie, ignore my semi-failure because they are really good and I may cut the recipe in half and try again.

jude

I do it basically like your mother except now I caramelize the onions first and add fresh parsley.