Garlic and Fresh Thyme Scalloped Potatoes

Every year for the Holiday Season, I bake my famous Garlic and Fresh Thyme Scalloped Potatoes! These potatoes are always a huge hit at Holiday potlucks from Thanksgiving through New Years. I usually bake around 5 to 7 batches of these potatoes every Holiday season. So since so much effort, time, & love go into perfecting every single batch, I proactively retire the recipe for the rest of the year.

As a home chef, I always use my taste buds as a guide for every meal I make. I’ve actually never taken the time to break down any of my recipes until my ULTIMATE BANANA BREAD recipe a few months ago. And after the huge success of that blog post, I think it’s time to finally share my Garlic and Fresh Thyme Scalloped Potatoes recipe with the world!

Garlic & Fresh Thyme Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

• Prep Time: 25 min
• Bake Time: 55 min
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 min

Ingredients

• 1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 5 Fresh Sprigs of Thyme
• 4 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
• Nutmeg
• Garlic Salt
• Black Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
• Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
• Paprika
• 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
• 2 lbs of Russet Potatoes
• 1 Cup of Shredded Parmesan

Baking Tools

• 9 x 13 inch baking pan
• Big Pot to Boil Potatoes
• Colander
• Ladle Spoon
• Wooden Mixing Spoon
• Fork
• Small Tasting Spoon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F
2. Bring a pot of water to boil with a pinch of salt
3. Peel & rinse potatoes
4. Add potatoes into water & boil for ~10 minutes (Or until you can stick a fork into a potato with minimal effort)
5. Strain the potatoes from the water using a colander & let sit for 5 minutes to cool before handling
6. Cut potatoes into thin, circular slices & set aside
7. Melt Butter at Low to Medium heat then add garlic, bay leaves, & 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
8. Slowly add heavy cream followed by garlic salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, & nutmeg to taste, keep warm on low & stir occasionally
9. Ladle 2 scoops of your white sauce to the bottom of the pan
10. Place potatoes on top of the sauce in an overlapping, circular formation
11. Season layer with garlic salt & pepper
12. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese over the potatoes
13. Add another layer of potatoes, ladle 2 scoops of sauce, season with garlic salt & black pepper, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan (repeat)
14. Use all remaining parmesan on the top layer & sprinkle with paprika for color
15. Bake covered with foil for 45 min at 400° F
16. Remove foil & bake for an additional 10 min to brown
17. (Optional) Garnish with remaining sprigs of fresh thyme before serving

So that’s it! It’s a lot of prep work, & it’s definitely time consuming. But if you take the time to make a batch of your own, be sure to let me know in a comment below. I promise they’ll be worth all the time & effort! As I mentioned, this is my staple Holiday recipe that has never failed me over the years, so I hope you enjoy my Garlic & Fresh Thyme Scalloped Potatoes with your loved ones this Holiday Season!

XO Denise