Italian-Inspired Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Of all the types of potato side dishes out there, very few can boast the creamy, savory deliciousness that scalloped potatoes can. Traditional scalloped potatoes have layers of thinly sliced potatoes, creamy sauce, and often lots of cheese, which, combined, create the ultimate comfort dish that pairs well with mains like steak, ham, or turkey. Recipe developer Patterson Watkins has taken that classic formula and given it an upgrade in nearly every way with her Italian-inspired scalloped potatoes recipe, which comes loaded with smoky speck and three cheeses (because one cheese just wouldn't be enough).

Needless to say, this isn't your run-of-the-mill potato side dish recipe, and it packs in quite a bit of culinary elegance without being too fussy or difficult to make. "This is one super tasty scalloped potato dish — rich and creamy with a subtle salty-smokiness from the smoked prosciutto/speck and a brilliant sharpness from the provolone and Parmesan," Watkins describes. "Your kitchen will smell amazing while this is cooking too — that buttery onion and garlic combined with baking bubbly cheese."

This recipe calls for you to let the potatoes rest before serving them, which results in all the creamy, cheesy layers melding together beautifully. As Watkins explains, "That resting period allows the cream sauce to thicken and the starch in the potatoes to activate, allowing us to serve a nice sliced portion without it being runny or sloppy." It may take a little patience, but with a dish this cheesy, savory, and delicious, the resting period is worth the wait.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

You'll start this recipe by making a creamy, cheesy sauce consisting of butter, olive oil, all-purpose flour, half-and-half, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, black pepper, grated mozzarella cheese, grated sharp provolone cheese, and grated Parmesan (you'll also top the whole thing off with extra of the three cheeses). When it comes to the cheeses, tedious as it may be, you should grate them yourself so as to avoid pre-shredded cheese additives that may affect the way the cheese melts (and think twice about getting pre-grated Parmesan in general, as it may contain lots of additives and even powdered wood pulp).

When it comes time to layer and assemble the casserole, you'll need thinly-sliced russet potatoes, a thinly-sliced yellow onion, thinly-sliced garlic, speck or prosciutto slices, and fresh chopped parsley to garnish.

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

If you've enjoyed your fair share of scalloped potatoes in the past, then you know that even, thin slices of potatoes are essential to a successful dish. "When crafting scalloped potatoes, you definitely need precise, uniform slices," Watkins says. "That uniformity ensures that everything cooks/bakes at the same rate, resulting in tender taters and melty, well-infused aromatics." The most foolproof way to achieve such accurately thin slices is by way of a mandoline, so if you've got one sitting in your cabinet, now's a time to bust it out. 

Although just about any mandoline will do the trick here, Watkins recommends Japanese-style mandolines as great options for recipes like this one. Not only do they tend to be cheaper than those multi-function mandolines, but they provide just the right sharpness and accuracy to get thin slices every time. Watkins warns, "These are sharp-sharp-sharp tools. So I certainly recommend using the safety guard with these."

Finally, while uniform slices of potato and onion are ideal here, they don't have to be paper-thin. If you end up with slightly thicker spuds, you may need to bake the casserole for a bit longer. To test for doneness, stick a toothpick into the center — if there's not much resistance, then your casserole is good to go.

You may notice that this recipe doesn't call for any added salt, but that doesn't mean that your resulting casserole won't be plenty salty. Between the salted butter, three cheeses, and speck or prosciutto, trust us when we say that there will be no shortage of savory flavor in your finished product. That said, Watkins acknowledges that some folks like things on the saltier side, so you could lightly salt the sauce if desired, or simply serve the dish with salt and pepper and let people choose to make their portion even saltier. Watkins also uses a no-salt-added Italian seasoning blend, but if your blend does happen to include salt, make sure to taste the cheese sauce before adding any additional salt to the mix. 

Seasonings and saltiness aside, there are a few other ways you can tweak these scalloped potatoes to your liking. To start, you don't need to stick with Watkins' recommended three cheeses of mozzarella, sharp provolone, and Parmesan. If you don't necessarily want those super sharp flavors, opt for regular provolone and Pecorino Romano cheese instead. She also highlights how delicious speck, AKA smoky prosciutto, is in this recipe, but you can easily use plain prosciutto or even just thinly-sliced deli ham in a pinch.