Start to finish: 1½ hours (30 minutes active), plus cooling
Servings: 2 to 4
This recipe for scalloped potatoes is designed to be easily scaled up to serve as many as 12.
The ingredients are basic, but the finished dish is rich and elegant enough for a holiday spread.
Be sure to use Yukon Gold potatoes, which have the ideal waxy-starchy balance, along with a
buttery color and flavor. If you own a mandoline, it will make easy work of slicing the potatoes
into even ⅛-inch rounds. We like the salty, nutty notes of Parmesan or Asiago sprinkled onto the
potatoes midway through baking, but if you’d prefer the gooeyness of a melty cheese, try
Gruyère or provolone. Don’t skip heating the cream with the seasonings. This allows the
seasonings to infuse the cream, and warms the potatoes to kickstart cooking. If the cream is
cold when poured on, the potatoes take considerably longer to bake.
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced ⅛ inch thick
1 cup heavy cream
¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 bay leaf or thyme sprig (optional)
1 ounce Parmesan or Asiago cheese, finely grated (½ cup; see headnote)
Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. In a 1-quart baking dish, shingle in the
potato slices; they will be tightly packed.
In a saucepan, combine the cream, mustard, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper and
bay (if using). Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring, then immediately pour over the potatoes.
Cover tightly with foil and set on a rimmed baking sheet to catch bubble-overs. Bake until the tip
of a knife inserted into the potatoes meets just a little resistance, 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and uncover the baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the
surface. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown, another 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for
about 20 minutes before serving.