The Covered Dish - Scalloped Potatoes

By the time some of you read this column Easter will be over, and you’ll be looking at ways to wrap up the everlasting ham! Probably one of my all-time favorites would be scalloped potatoes or macaroni and cheese with chunks of ham. Served with a glorious side salad, is beyond perfection for this cook.
I remember my mom, Betty, would serve stuffed baked potatoes with a creamed pea and ham topping over a baked Idaho.
Nothing beats a good ham sandwich with your favorite mustard, good greens and leftover Easter Ham. They’re even better made on the extra dinner rolls with ample salad dressing or mayo. Here’s an idea that will make weekly lunches quite enjoyable: Macaroni salad with green onion, chopped ham, cheese and cold peas. Even a few other vegies would be good added to the mixture. This would make several main lunches for the week.
Omelets, breakfast casseroles, ham and eggs, frozen pieces ready to season summer green bean, you can’t omit pinto beans and ham, using the bone for great flavoring. Breakfast sandwiches made with thin slices of ham. Pfew....I think I’ve given you some pretty good ideas? Wait, wait, how about you re-create a shepherd’s pie using cornbread on the top.
For the bottom I’d come in with carrots, peas or sugar snaps, fresh sauteed mushrooms, maybe celery. You could reach for a very quick meal by using canned soup like celery soup or cream of mushroom. If you saute the vegies first you will enhance their flavor tremendously. OK, I think I’m going to have to make this one!
Now; the question remains what recipe do I share with you specifically? Probably one of the most useful will be my homemade scalloped potatoes, now, why? I grew up with no recipe for scalloped potatoes, mom didn’t have one, she just ‘knew’ how much of everything to use. That doesn’t work if you have never made scalloped potatoes before?
So I played around writing scalloped potato recipes until I got it down. My version is based upon the way my mother prepared them with, flour, butter, salt and pepper and the tricky part, milk or cream, and cheese. Scalloped potatoes can also be made based upon a creamy white sauce. I have to be honest I usually stick with mom’s version. I use the creamy white sauce when I’m doing macaroni and cheese.
Below you will find my version of scalloped potatoes, they will be delicious. When my husband read my notes at the beginning of this column, he stated: ‘Well scalloped potatoes is a no brainier, no other way to go! On that note I’ll wrap up for the week and set the recipe. He is Risen, Simply yours, The Covered Dish.

Scalloped Potatoes
2 1⁄2 lbs Yukon potatoes, skins left on
Wash & slice as thin as you can, I use #2 on my micro planer
3-4 tablespoons butter
Multi use seasoning spice black pepper
3 tablespoons flour, used 1 tablespoon at a time.
4 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar, split 3 equal amounts
1 cup half n’ half
2 1⁄2 quart baking dish
Vegetable spray or olive oil spray
Wash, peel and slice potatoes, separate into 3 equal amounts,
Remove skins if desired, I do not.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with the vegetable spray or olive oil, layer first group of potatoes evenly in the bottom. Sprinkle with seasoning spice & pepper, 1 tablespoon of flour, sprinkled evenly over potatoes, along with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Cut one tablespoon of butter over the top. Now start the 2nd level, repeating the process.
Continue on to the third layer. Slowly pour the half and half over the top of the potatoes.
Put lid on pan or foil and bake covered for approximately 45-50 minutes.
Remove covering and continue cooking until potatoes are tender when poked with a parey knife. This usually takes 15 or 20 minutes, it’s at this time that you’ll see the liquid begin to thicken. If you desire more cheese over the top or a bit paprika, add it now.
Use your favorite cheeses instead of the sharp cheese. I enjoy Smoked Greyere, Havarti or Muenster. A few green onions inside or on top of the dish would be a nice garnish.
Many will reach for a full 8 ounces of cheese in this recipe, again; your call.