I read an article about a list of the Top 30 Hammiest States. Minnesota was ranked #10 on the list. Who comes up with these lists?
I tried looking for a list of the Top Scalloped-est Potato States. It didn’t exist. Shoot. If I liked scalloped potatoes, maybe I would make my own list, but I don’t, so I won’t.
I will however introduce you to this amazing potato recipe that is sure to blow the socks off any one you serve it to.
As I mentioned, and will again here only 2 sentences later, I don’t like scalloped potatoes. I swear my family always had this at family gatherings, mainly Easter, as a kid. Many times they were made by my grandmother from scratch, but other times my mom made them from a box. My grandmother’s scalloped potatoes were always good, but I never really liked them. My mom’s from a box on the other hand, not good. Not good at all. Which also meant I didn’t like them.
When thinking about Easter dishes this year, I thought I would try something different of my own for scalloped potatoes. Something that could give that nice creamy cheese, chive taste without the fresh from a box taste.
Cauliflower is an under rated veggie that can make a wonderful creamy sauce.
I have found that frozen cauliflower can be the best option for making a cauliflower sauce. Not only is it cheaper to buy cauliflower frozen in a bag, it is already cleaned and chopped for you. Bonus. But the best part is the freezing process helps soften the hard veggie, making it easier and faster to get to the right consistency for a creamy sauce. Score.
You could always slice your potatoes in to disks to look like traditional scalloped potoatoes, or you could be a rebel like me {read: lazy like me} and chop them into cubes.
I also like to add some fiber and color to my dish, so all skins stay on too. Mixed with some fresh greens, and you have a boat load of color.
Now after you have all your layers, you are just like an onion. Name that movie….
By the way, did you see that they just came out with a Shrek Broadway Musical? I sure hope it is as good as the movie, cause boy I love that movie.
“And in the morning, I’m makin’ waffles!” – used to my all time favorite catch phrase. I might still use it on the weekends before I am inspired to make waffles. Oooo…. maybe I will make waffles this weekend. #Done
Check out all the creamy goodness. Remember, there is barely any cheese in there to make it look so mouth watering.
Big perk, when you go to serve these scalloped potatoes, they don’t run into all of your other food. Both my mother and I are OCD about our food touching, so a runny potato is never my friend. These potatoes stay together nicely on their own side of the plate. Or unless you want to try to make a photo ready plate, then they can touch.
However, once your photo is taken, you give the plate to your husband and make him eat the touching food, and you serve yourself your own plate of non-touching food.
Genius.
I am going to leave you wit this long, stringy photo of taters.
Enjoy!
Creamy Cauliflower Scalloped Potatoes
yield 12 servings
- 3 lbs red potatoes, whole
- 2 12oz bag frozen cauliflower
- 2-3 cups chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
- 1 cup italian bread crumbs
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Salt
- Place clean potatoes, whole and peal on, in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until skins begin to crack and a fork easily pierces skin. Pour off water, and rise with cold water. Chill potatoes in refrigerator.
- To prepare the sauce, place 2 cups of chicken stock and cauliflower in large pan and cover. Bring to a boil, and steam for 20 minutes. Keep checking to make sure there is still liquid on cauliflower.
- Place cauliflower, and all remaining liquid in blender, and blend until smooth.
- In the same pan, turn heat to medium and add butter and oil until melted. Whisk flour into butter and oil creating a roux for your sauce.
- Add pureed cauliflower and garlic to sauce. Season sauce to taste with black pepper and salt.
- Chop chilled potatoes into bite size pieces.
- Place a thin layer sauce in 9×13 backing dish. Next add potatoes, chives, Parmesan cheese, and cover with remaining sauce.
- Cover potatoes with bread crumbs.
- Bake potatoes at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. If bread crumbs have not browned, place under broiler for 5 minutes without burning bread crumbs.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.