By Easter and the first real spring holiday with both kids old enough to participate. Liam understands Easter -- the eggs, the basket, the chocolate, the complicated theology which he is not yet ready for. Nora understands the basket because she can pick things up out of it and examine them and put them in her mouth. Between the two of them they have covered the range of Easter participation.
Sean's parents hosted. Maureen had been cooking for two days -- lamb and scalloped potatoes and her brown butter asparagus that I have been trying to replicate for four years. After dinner I asked her the recipe and she gave it to me freely and it is simpler than I thought. Sometimes the thing you've been overthinking is simple. I made a note.
The kids were outside in the backyard for the egg hunt and Nora walked around carrying eggs to give to Liam, not because she understood the game but because she was following his lead and he was collecting eggs. She is already doing what I will watch her do for decades: watching what Liam does and deciding whether to follow or diverge. Right now she follows. That will change. That is supposed to change.
I am thirty years old next month. May 12th. I have been turning this over all week -- not with dread but with the specific assessment of a person who is taking stock. Thirty feels different than I thought it would when I was twenty-two and starting nursing school. It feels more like what I actually am. Less like the thing I was imagining being.
Maureen’s scalloped potatoes were always already on the table when we sat down — never frantic, never a last-minute thing — and it turns out that’s the whole trick: you make them ahead. I had been imagining some complicated technique, some secret ratio of cream to butter, and instead it was just time management and a good baking dish. I’m writing it down here the way she gave it to me, because sometimes the thing you’ve been overthinking is exactly this simple.
Make Ahead Potatoes
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 1 hr 20 min | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the dish. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously. Preheat oven to 350°F if baking same day, or plan to refrigerate overnight and bake the following day.
- Make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sauté the diced onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the warmed milk and cream, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese until melted.
- Layer the potatoes. Arrange a single layer of sliced potatoes in the prepared baking dish, slightly overlapping. Pour a portion of the sauce over the top. Repeat layers until all potatoes and sauce are used, finishing with sauce on top.
- Top and cover. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the top. Cover tightly with foil. At this point the dish can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
- Bake. When ready to bake, bring the dish to room temperature for 20 minutes if coming from the refrigerator. Bake covered at 350°F for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden and the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Rest and serve. Let the potatoes rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 390mg