Scalloped Potatoes

This scalloped potatoes recipe is a simple, wholesome vegan take on the traditional warm, creamy yet deliciously crusty classic casserole.

It's potato harvest time here at the moment, and although there's no shortage of ways to cook up potatoes, this type of dish is one of our go-tos when we feel like something a little more "fancy." We love it as a dinner main, or as a side dish.

The Sauce that Brings this Recipe Together

If you happen to have an abundance of potatoes (or just happen to be a potato lover), this recipe is a great way to use some up since they're used not only in the layers of the dish, but in the "cheese" sauce as well.

The potato "cheese" sauce is used here as a dairy-free substitute for the milk, butter, flour, and sometimes cheese that's traditionally used in scalloped potatoes or au gratin recipes. It works a treat as an all-in one swap (and keeps the recipe gluten-free too).

You'll need to whip up a batch of this sauce before starting up on this recipe (I put a link to it in the recipe card below). But once you have that ready, it's a real snap to get this casserole together. Literally a matter of layering some potato slices, some onions, and this sauce and putting the dish in the oven.

Add-Ons and Recipe Variation Ideas

The thing that makes a recipe like this work is its inherent simplicity and the few ingredients required to make delicious scalloped potatoes. And although it's great as is and there's no need to change anything up, if you're up for it there's tons of room to improvise here too and spruce things up to your taste. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• For a more intense flavor, sprinkle some garlic granules / powder into the layers alongside the salt & pepper.
• Likewise if you enjoy things a bit more spicy, feel free to add in some chilli powder or cajun spice, etc., into the layers.
• Try adding in some fresh herbs, like a bit of chopped rosemary or (a lot!) of dill in between layers too.
• Make this recipe more cheesy by sprinkling in some vegan parmesan into the layers or some shreds of your favorite bold-flavored vegan cheese.
• For a "meaty" version, sprinkle in some vegan bacon bits or little pieces of tofurkey slices, etc.
• For a smokey version, add a touch of liquid smoke to the cheese sauce when making it.

You probably get the idea. There's room to play around. The soft-baked potatoes are the "heart" of the dish. The onion slices add some juiciness and flavor. The cheese brings the lush creaminess. The salt & pepper brings the flavors together. The rest is up to you, with lots of room to improvise here.

Quick Notes on the Dish Size

The recipe can be easily made bigger or smaller depending on your need.

One of the nice things about scalloped potatoes (and casseroles in general) is that it can be easily made any shape. So if you have a favorite holiday casserole dish that's rounded or of a slightly different shape or size, it's all good (so long as you size up the ingredients accordingly to fill the pan).

Just keep in mind that the larger / deeper the dish, naturally the longer it will need to bake. I recommend not using a dish that's too too deep as you might have a hard time telling if the potatoes on the inside are cooked through even though the top might look ready.

I usually use a dish that's 2" deep (as pictured), and the potatoes easily cook through within the specified baking time. So if you use a different dish size, just keep an eye on it. If it looks ready to you (golden crispy tops, some blistery bubbles here and there, etc.), you can test if the recipe is ready by taking it out of the oven and poking through with a toothpick in the middle. If the toothpick goes through the potatoes easily (think same texture as poking a piece of boiled potato), then you're good to go. If things feel a little "raw" or too firm, back in the oven it can go to bake longer.

Scalloped Potatoes

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This scalloped potatoes recipe is a simple, wholesome vegan take on the traditional warm, creamy yet deliciously crusty classic casserole.

• Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 -6 servings (as a side)
• Category: savory
• Method: baked
• Cuisine: vegan
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 385 gr potatoes, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 medium-small onion, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 ½ cups vegan potato "cheese"
• salt & pepper
• optional: vegan butter or baking oil to very lightly oil the baking dish*
• optional: ketchup for serving

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Very lightly oil or butter a medium-small casserole dish.* Note: I used an oven-safe glass tupperware container that's 8" x 6" x 2" ( 6 cup or 1.5L capacity), but anything of a similar size would work. Set aside.

2. Add a few thin layers of potato slices along the base of the dish.

Very lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper (if you have a salt and pepper grinder, a few "twists" would works well here). Spoon some of the "cheese" sauce over the potatoes evenly to coat them.

3. Next, spread a layer of sliced onions over the cheese sauce.

Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover them with a light layer of "cheese sauce.

4. Continue alternating potato layers + salt & pepper and  "cheese" sauce (if you have some onion left, mix it into the layers too until you run out). In this manner fill up the pan, concluding with a layer of  potatoes and then "cheese" sauce at the very top.

5. Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes until the top is nicely crisped and golden. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for a few minutes and enjoy! Serve with ketchup. Enjoy!

Notes

*Note: I actually don't usually oil my glass casserole dish and it bakes fine with very minimal "sticking" to the walls post baking due to the creaminess of the "cheese" sauce. So if you prefer to go "oil-free" here, you can skip the oiling. I recommend very lightly oiling or buttering the dish for a slightly richer flavor and an easier time cleaning your dish, but it's not essential in my experience.

**Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat again when ready to eat.