Dreamy and Decadent Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions {Happy Thanksgiving}!

 

Do you ever have to give yourself pep talks? Frequently? 

That's me. I have to do that quite often. In the car before work. Every day at 12:30 before 5th grade Math. Before I wash the dishes. Before I put away the laundry. When I have to deal with certain people.

And....before I made this gorgeous BUT TIME CONSUMING recipe!

I had no idea when I chose this recipe that it was going to take AT LEAST 3 HOURS from start to finish, but once I had verbalized it to my family, I committed to it and it had to be done. My family has been asking me to make scalloped/au gratin potatoes from scratch for years so when I saw this recipe for Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions on the Half-Baked Harvest site earlier this week I KNEW I HAD TO MAKE IT. I just didn't realize it was going to take so much time.

Make the caramelized onions. Slice the potatoes. Make sure you have larger potatoes that have similarly-sized slices. Grate the cheese. Make a milk mixture. It all seems easy enough. Layer everything. Layer it again. Layer it again. Bake it for about 2 hours. Remove the foil, add the cheddar cheese, and bake another 20 or so until perfectly bubbly and golden brown. It's largely all baking time, but you know....this is not the type of recipe I typically go for.  

I'm gonna tell ya....this is a total indulgence, BUT IT IS SO SO GOOD! The caramelized onions really make this dish and add so much flavor! If you're looking for a last minute dish for your Thanksgiving table this is it! It would probably be the winning dish.

I found myself frustrated because it was rainy and gloomy outside and by the time the potatoes were done it was dark so the pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. If you really want to see a good looking dish of scalloped potatoes head over to the Half-Baked Harvest site.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Adapted from Half-Baked Harvest Blog

by Tieghan Gerard

Serves 8-10

3 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced* 

salt and black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

1 clove garlic, chopped*

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 pinch cayenne

3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 russet or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/8" thick slices

Preheat the oven to 350F. Melt together the butter and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 minutes. At this point, you'll want to add the wine and continue to cook another 5 minutes until the onions are deeply caramelized.

Add the garlic and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish. In a large glass measuring cup, combine the cream, milk, a pinch of cayenne, salt, and pepper. Then add the Gruyere cheese. Pour 1/3 of the milk mix into the bottom of the baking dish. Layer in 1/3 of the potatoes, and 1/2 of the onions. Add another 1/3 milk mix, then 1/3 of the potatoes, and then the remaining onions. Add the remaining potatoes, then pour over the last of the remaining milk mix. Try to get the potatoes in an even layer.

Cover and bake 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Remove the foil and top with cheddar cheese. Bake another 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and melty. Serve the dish warm, topped with fresh thyme.

To make ahead: Prepare and bake through step 5, but stop cooking after 2 hours. Let chill, then cover, and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Before baking, bring the dish to room temperature, add the cheddar cheese, and bake another 20-30 minutes.