Really, there is no side dish better for a special occasion than a decadent and creamy potato gratin in my opinion. In fact, I often think that lots of potato dishes are the highlight of a meal – rather than a simple side dish. And this recipe is one that very well may be a highlight!
Made without using cream or flour – these scalloped potatoes are super luscious and ultra cheesy (I use two different kinds of cheese!) and they’re infused with tonnes of flavour. They’re also relatively simple to make and don’t require a lot of active prep time!
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes without Heavy Cream
Make sure to start making these potatoes at least an hour before you want to cook them as you do need time to ensure that the milk infuses.
However, because we infuse the milk, you don’t need to be super meticulous in finely chopping your shallot and garlic – a good rough chop is fine!
Add a bit of olive oil to a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add your shallot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s fragrant and softened – about 3-5 minutes.
Then, add some chopped fresh thyme, some freshly grated nutmeg and a bit of white miso paste. The miso paste adds a cheesy umami quality that really amplifies the flavour of the potatoes.
Cook this for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, before pouring over a can of evaporated milk. Much like in my mac & cheese recipe (which is also made without flour!), the evaporated milk aids in a richly creamy sauce without the added heaviness and fat content of cream.
There is more protein in evaporated milk than in regular milk and this allows for a very rich sauce – especially as it mixes with the starch of the potatoes.
Bring the milk mixture to a simmer and then take it off the heat. Let the garlic and shallot infuse in the hot milk for about an hour. You could also do this up to a day in advance and just keep it in the fridge. Just strain the solids out when you’re ready to assemble your gratin.
Now, speaking of assembly – now it’s time to peel and slice your potatoes and add them to a large mixing bowl. I like to use a mandolin to speed up the process and get consistency of size, but you can just as easily do this with a chef’s knife.
Then, strain your milk mixture over the sliced potatoes and go ahead and discard the solids – you’ve got all the flavour out of them now.
Then, shingle potatoes in a single layer in an appropriately sized baking dish (I like using a standard pie dish).
Sprinkle over a bit of grated parmesan and gruyere cheese and then repeat with the remaining potatoes and cheese.
Pour over the milk mixture and then cover the potatoes tightly with foil. Bake in a 190°C/375°F oven for about 30 minutes before removing the foil.
Return to the oven and bake until the potatoes are golden, bubbling and crisp on the top – about 15 minutes longer.
Go ahead and let them cool for at least 5 minutes before serving – this is the hardest part! These will be particularly good alongside something like my mushroom stew or a simple roast chicken.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Without Cream
Ingredients
- 2 shallots roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tsp white miso paste
- ¼ tsp nutmeg freshly grated
- 385 ml evaporated milk 1 standard can
- 5 g (¾ tsp) salt (see notes)
- 600 g (1⅓ lb) potatoes peeled and sliced to 5mm (¼in) thick
- 50 g (⅓ cup) gruyere cheese grated
- 25 g (¼ cup) parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the shallots and garlic and cook until fragrant – about 2 minutes. Add in the thyme, miso paste and nutmeg and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Pour over the evaporated milk and salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and let infuse – off heat – for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F. Strain the milk mixture into a large mixing bowl, discarding the solids. Add the sliced potatoes and ensure they are evenly coated.
- Lightly grease a 9-inch (23cm) pie dish or 8-inch (20cm) square baking dish. Shingle a single layer of potatoes on the bottom of the dish, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the gruyere and parmesan and season with pepper. Repeat with two more layers of potatoes and cheese. Pour the remaining evaporated milk over the potatoes.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes – or until the potatoes are bubbling and the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake until the top of the potatoes are golden brown and beginning to crisp – another 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Making incredible scalloped potatoes is super possible without using cream – and really easy, as well!
Are you after a great potato side dish? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
