I love them because they're warm, hearty, and filling. But I also love having a healthy body, full of energy. I'm always looking for the middle ground; that perfect place of tension between comfort food and food that's kind to my body. It was with that mission in mind that I tackled one of the classics: Scalloped potatoes.
Before we move on to the recipe let me clarify something. This isn't a calorie counting meal. It's got some butter in it, and some Parmesan cheese. It's basically a casserole dish full of potatoes, after all. What I've done here is changed it so that it has less (or none) of the ingredients that make me feel sluggish, bloaty, and that cause all kinds of digestive problems (not to mention being the root of various health problems down the line, including possibly cancer). Instead of a cheese sauce made with cups of cheddar and a base of milk, it's wine and vegetable stock and a tiny bit of Parmesan.
You still have to be smart about making sure you eat a well balanced diet "everything in moderation", as we've been told until we're sick to death of hearing it. I served this with a big ol' salad, and the next time I make this will probably add roasted broccoli. I guess my point is that while I feel like this is a suitably healthy entree for my family when balanced out with lots of green things, you might not. We aren't calorie counters.
And now, the Potatoes
- 6 Yukon gold potatoes (russets would be fine too), thinly sliced;
- 3 tbsp butter;
- 3 tbsp flour;
- 1/2 cup white wine;
- 2 cups vegetable stock;
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme;
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced (so that when you pull it apart it makes thin onion circles);
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper;
- 1 tsp granulated garlic;
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little more for sprinkling.
In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat. When it's melted whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and the stock, and whisk until smooth. Mix in the thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic, and let it all slowly thicken over medium heat, whisking occasionally. When it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat and mix in the 1/4 cup Parmesan. When the cheese is incorporated, layer enough gravy into the bottom of a large casserole dish to coat the bottom. Then a layer of potatoes, then onion, then a sprinkle of salt. Repeat with gravy, potatoes, onion, and sprinkle of salt until all of the ingredients are gone, ending with gravy. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees until the potatoes are very tender, 70-90 minutes. Then uncover, sprinkle with Parmesan, and put it under the broiler until the cheese has browned, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!