Cheese Scalloped Potato Stacks (Print)
Individual potato stacks with creamy cheese sauce and crispy edges
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1.5 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled
02 - 1 clove garlic, minced
→ Dairy
03 - 1 cup heavy cream
04 - 1/2 cup whole milk
05 - 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
06 - 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
→ Spices & Seasonings
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
11 - 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter or non-stick spray.
02 - Using a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife, cut the peeled potatoes into thin, even slices about 1/8 inch thick.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk, minced garlic, ground nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and half of the thyme leaves until well combined.
04 - Toss the sliced potatoes in the melted butter, making sure each slice is evenly coated.
05 - Layer 3 to 4 potato slices in the bottom of each muffin cup. Spoon a teaspoon of the cream mixture over the potatoes, then sprinkle with a pinch of cheddar and Gruyère cheese. Repeat the layers — potatoes, cream, cheese — until each cup is full, pressing down gently as you build.
06 - Finish each stack with a final sprinkle of cheddar, Gruyère, and the remaining thyme leaves.
07 - Cover the muffin tin loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
08 - Allow the stacks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each stack to loosen, then carefully remove and serve.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Every single stack gets a crispy edge all the way around, which is the best part of any scalloped potato and usually reserved for whoever fights for the corner piece.
- The muffin tin does all the portioning work for you, making these surprisingly elegant for something that takes almost no effort to assemble.
02 -
- If your potato slices are too thick they will not cook through in the allotted time, so that mandoline truly is your best friend here.
- Do not skip the foil cover for the first half of baking, because the cream needs that trapped steam to soften the potatoes before the tops can crisp.
03 -
- Soak the sliced potatoes in cold water for 10 minutes and pat them thoroughly dry before buttering, which removes excess starch and helps them layer more cleanly.
- Rotate the muffin tin halfway through the uncovered baking time if your oven has hot spots, because uneven browning is the enemy of a beautiful stack.