Four cheese scalloped potatoes: the side dish recipe that never fails
Four-cheese scalloped potatoes are a side dish that never fails.
- 2 large potatoes
- 75g of Parmesan cheese
- 150g of Maasdam cheese
- 150g of Cheddar cheese
- 75g of blue cheese
- 250 ml of milk
- Salt (to taste)
- How to prepare four-cheese scalloped potatoes, step by step
- Prepare the four-cheese sauce. If using a Thermomix, blend the chopped cheeses, add the milk and spices, and cook for 10 minutes at 80°C on speed 2. Alternatively, grate all the cheeses and place them in a saucepan with the milk; heat gently, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Add pepper and nutmeg to taste.
- Peel, wash and thinly slice the potatoes, using a mandoline or a sharp knife, making sure that all the slices are of an even thickness.
The magic lies in the four-cheese sauce: Parmesan, Maasdam, Cheddar, and blue cheese melt with the milk to form a creamy sauce that coats each potato slice. Each cheese contributes its own unique flavor: Parmesan adds depth, Maasdam creaminess, Cheddar a touch more intensity, and the blue cheese that captivating hue.
The oven does the work for you: the potatoes cook in the sauce, releasing their starch and softening; the surface browns and turns golden. Just 15 minutes of your time, because the oven does the rest. In total, one hour and ten minutes, including the 55 minutes of baking time.
The secret isn't just in the cheese: it's in slicing the potatoes thinly and giving the oven the time it needs for a good gratin.
- Assemble the gratin in an ovenproof dish: alternate layers of sliced potatoes, a touch of salt, and four-cheese sauce. Finish with a layer of sauce.
- Bake at 190°C with top and bottom heat, in a preheated oven, for 45 minutes or until the surface begins to brown.
- Remove from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes and, if you like, sprinkle with oregano, thyme or herbes de Provence before serving.
Tricks to make it perfect
Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible; it's the difference between a beautiful gratin and potatoes that end up hard in the middle. If you don't have a mandoline, a sharp knife and a little patience will also work.
The final resting period, that step that's sometimes skipped, makes all the difference when it comes to portioning. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving and you'll see how each portion comes out whole.
A sprinkle of oregano on top before serving adds a touch of green. For more flavor, add grated cheese between layers or brush the base of the mold with mustard; this recipe is very versatile.
🍽️ The recipe card
- 🍴 Dish: Potatoes au gratin with four cheeses.
- 👥 Servings: 4 people.
- ⏱️ Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- 📊 Difficulty: Easy.
