Best Vegan Scalloped Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the one trick Michael Symon uses to make perfect scalloped potatoes? ›

Surprisingly, aluminum foil is his secret weapon. After beautifully shingling the potatoes (he's got a genius trick for doing this quickly, too) he covers the dish in foil before hitting the oven.

My scalloped potatoes are bland

They are also in need of serious seasoning to ensure deliciousness. Make sure your sauce is well-seasoned, but also, season each layer of potatoes with salt and pepper before adding the sauce, to make sure they are as flavorful as you want them!

The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven. Instead of simply layering grated cheese and milk or cream with the potatoes, you need to make a smooth cheese sauce.

If raw, once the potato is cut you can store in the refrigerator, covered with water for 12-24 hours. Be sure to keep submerged in water to prevent slices from turning gray or brown.

What is the difference between au gratin potatoes and scalloped potatoes? Au Gratin potatoes contain cheese, whereas Scalloped Potatoes do not. Scalloped potatoes typically contain cream but can also contain flavorful stock instead of dairy.

The best potatoes to use for a homemade scalloped potato recipes like this one are baking/frying potatoes, either russet or Idaho. They have dry, light, and fluffy interiors that hold their shape when cooked. The starch in the potatoes helps to thicken the sauce while the casserole bakes.

Potatoes or rice can remain rock-hard after prolonged cooking. Starch will not swell if it is acidic. If you have a lot of sour cream in your scalloped potatoes or add something acidic, your potatoes may not soften. You can cook the potatoes with heavy cream or milk and then, after they soften, stir in sour cream.

Scalloped potatoes at the very least call for milk, but milk can very easily curdle in the oven and render your cream sauce clumpy and unappetizing. In many cases, curdling is the result of your dairy not containing enough fat to keep the protein molecules from binding to each other and creating clumps.

Prepare the recipe as directed, then let it cool to room temperature. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If the recipe has cheese, breadcrumbs, herbs, or any other toppings, reserve it and add it before reheating.

High heat temperatures, particularly when lower-fat dairy options are involved, break the emulsion apart, which in turn causes the proteins to fold together and stick to create lumpy curds.

How can I thicken my scalloped potatoes? ›

A sauce that's too thin can result in a watery dish lacking the rich, luxurious texture that scalloped potatoes are famous for. Thankfully, there's a simple and effective solution to this problem: Use instant potato flakes.

Despite how they look, a curdled cream sauce is completely edible, so you won't get sick from eating it. While that is an upside, the smooth texture of cream is integral to certain recipes, so consuming it can be a strange experience of trying to force down food that's simultaneously watery and lumpy.

Proper storage and handling

Do not refrigerate or freeze fresh potatoes before cooking. Colder temperatures lower than 50 degrees cause a potato's starch to convert to sugar, resulting in a sweet taste and discoloration when cooked. There is no need to store your potatoes in a bag; you can store them loose.

Potatoes or rice can remain rock-hard after prolonged cooking. Starch will not swell if it is acidic. If you have a lot of sour cream in your scalloped potatoes or add something acidic, your potatoes may not soften. You can cook the potatoes with heavy cream or milk and then, after they soften, stir in sour cream.

Avoid drowning the potatoes in the sauce. Instead, add just enough liquid to graze the top layer of the ingredients. Excessive liquid will get in the way of achieving the desired thickness and creaminess. Finally, after baking, allow the dish ample time to rest.

Watery scalloped potatoes are not good, and is often caused by using the wrong type of potato. This recipe requires starchy potatoes, such as russets or Yukon golds, not waxy potatoes. Another cause is washing or holding the sliced potatoes in water (as outlined in the question above).