Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes have all the comfort and familiarity of the classic side dish, taken to another level with the addition of ground beef, vegetables, savoury sauce, and cheese! Finished with sour cream and fixings, this Loaded Scalloped Potato Casserole is a deliciously filling meal.
You could almost call this “deconstructed baked potatoes” because it features many of the ingredients that make a baked potato so special. Potatoes, cheese, a delicious sauce — then topped with sour cream, herbs, and optionally bacon make that signature combination.
Loaded Scalloped Potato ingredients
Potatoes (of course) are the star here – use whatever potato YOU like. For this recipe, I used yellow-flesh potatoes.
Ground beef: I used extra-lean ground beef. Try bulk Italian sausage for a spicier version!
Aromatic vegetables: Carrots, onion, garlic, and herbs are the work horses that make the dish rich and flavourful.
Sauce: The sauce is SO GOOD, and uses heavy cream, beef stock, Worchestershire sauce, and red wine.
Cheese: Would you have scalloped potatoes WITHOUT cheese? Maybe, but would it be as good? I used regular ol’ cheddar cheese, grated. Use whatever cheese you like!
Garnish: It’s what makes this dish “loaded”! Sour cream, chopped herbs of your choice, and optionally crumbled bacon or bacon bits. I have also had and enjoyed these Loaded Scalloped Potatoes without any garnish and it’s just as good.
Tips for Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
- Use a mandolin-style slicer to cut your potatoes evenly. Be careful, this handy tool can be EXTREMELY sharp!
- Make sure to pat dry the potatoes before layering in the dish.
- Feel free to use fresh or dried herbs. I used thyme & rosemary, because that’s what I had around. Chives would be amazing as a garnish!
- Depending on the dimensions of your casserole dish, you may end up with extra potatoes after you’re done the layering step. Don’t panic! Fry them up for breakfast!
- For an extra-cheezy version, add a light layer of grated cheddar on top of each potato layer!
Variations for Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
The recipe is very customizable! Choose your meat, potatoes, vegetables, and herbs to create any number of combinations to suit current ingredient situation.
| Meat | Potatoes | Veggies | Sauce | Herbs/Spice | Cheese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground turkey | Baby new potatoes, quartered | Canned roma tomatoes, spinach, shallots | White wine, chicken stock, garlic, cream | Thyme, oregano | Mozzarella, parmesan |
| Italian sausage | Sliced white potatoes | Zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers | White wine, chicken stock, garlic, crushed tomatoes | Italian seasoning, red chili flakes | Parmesan |
| Ground chicken | Sliced sweet potato | Tomatoes, tomatillos, chipotle peppers in adobo | Tomatoes, adobo, chicken stock, lime juice, garlic | Chili powder, cilantro | Queso fresco or cotjia |
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Casserole dish 9" x 12"
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 1 lb. ground beef
- Salt & pepper
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil such as avocado oil
- 2 large carrots peeled & diced
- ½ large white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves chopped
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 large yellow potatoes peeled & sliced 1/8 inch
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
Garnishes
- Sour cream, herbs, and crumbled bacon for garnish See note
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a 9×12 casserole dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray or brushing on a bit of neutral oil.
- Prepare vegetables: Peel & dice carrots, dice onion, mince garlic cloves, chop herbs, peel and slice potatoes.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add ½ tablespoon oil. When heated, add ground beef and cook, crumbling, until nice and browned — about 5-6 minutes. Add salt & pepper. Remove ground beef from pan and set aside.
- Return the pan to the stove and add remaining ½ tablespoon oil. Add carrots, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly until onions start to get translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add flour and herbs and stir for about 1 minute so that the flour cooks slightly.
- Add ground beef back into the pan, plus the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until it comes to a boil.
- Add the heavy cream and heat until the cream comes to a bubble. Stir until thickened, just a few minutes. Remove from heat.
- In the casserole dish, layer a third of the meat mixture, following by a layer of the sliced potatoes. Repeat until all meat mixture is used, ending with potatoes.
- Cover casserole dish with foil and bake 45-60 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- When potatoes are done, remove the casserole dish from the oven and turn on the broiler. Remove foil, and cover the entire top of the potatoes with the grated cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and slightly browned.
- Let the scalloped potato dish rest for about 10 minutes before digging in!
- Serve with dollops of sour cream, more herbs, and optionally you could add crumbled bacon or bacon bits.
- Enjoy!
Notes
