Scalloped Taters

Thanksgiving 2019. The table seats sixteen this year — the largest yet. The Johnsons, the Fosters, Tyrone, Mama. Angela is five months pregnant and glowing with the particular light that pregnant women emit, a light that is part hormones and part joy and entirely beautiful. She sat at the table with one hand on her belly and the other reaching for the sweet potato casserole, and Marcus watched her with the awe of a man who still can't believe his luck.

The turkey. Sixteen pounds. Brined, rubbed, smoked, rested, carved. Harold closed his eyes. Three-for-three. I am building a streak that I intend to maintain for the rest of Harold's life, because making a man close his eyes over your turkey is the highest form of compliment, and I am a compliment collector of the highest order.

Mama directed the pie from her wheelchair, Angela and Rosetta at the counter, the annual transmission of recipe and love from one generation to the next. This year Mama's directions were slower, sometimes confused — she asked for cinnamon twice, forgot she'd already added vanilla — but the women adapted, filled in the gaps, carried the recipe when the recipe-keeper couldn't carry it alone. The pie was perfect. It is always perfect, because the perfection is not in the execution but in the chain: Pearlie Mae to Rosetta to Angela, hand to hand, mother to daughter-in-law to daughter-in-law, the recipe traveling through time the way smoke travels through meat — slowly, permanently, transforming everything it touches.

Grace. I named Denise. I thanked God for the baby coming. I thanked God for sixteen people at a table that was built for six. I said Amen. The room said Amen. We ate. The food was good. The family was full. The year was ending. The fire was not.

When you’re running a Thanksgiving table for sixteen — turkey already on the smoker, pies being directed from a wheelchair, a baby on the way — the side dishes have to carry their weight without demanding your attention. These scalloped taters are what I put in the oven and forgot about until the timer went off, and they came out golden and bubbling and exactly right. That’s the kind of recipe a full table requires: steady, reliable, the kind of thing that doesn’t need you hovering over it, because you’ve got bigger things to tend to.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min | Total Time: 1 hr 35 min | Servings: 10

Ingredients

3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously. Slice potatoes and onion thin and uniform so they cook evenly.
Make the sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Slowly whisk in warm milk and heavy cream, adding gradually to prevent lumps. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar until melted.
Layer the potatoes. Arrange one-third of the potato slices in an overlapping layer in the prepared dish. Scatter half the onion slices over the top. Pour one-third of the sauce evenly over the layer. Repeat with another third of the potatoes, the remaining onion, and another third of the sauce. Finish with the remaining potatoes and pour the last of the sauce over the top, spreading to cover.
Top and bake. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and the Parmesan evenly over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
Finish uncovered. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling at the edges and the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
Rest and serve. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving — this helps the sauce set so it slices cleanly. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Scalloped Taters — The Side Dish That Holds the Table Together