Mom's Scalloped Potatoes from 1955

Ever wonder why those scalloped potatoes that you used to get at those old “bring a covered dish” dinners your parents dragged you to as a kid?  Meet my mother and her flawless recipe from the Good Housekeeping Cookbook’s 1955 edition–easily replicated in your 21st century kitchen.

This Christmas will be an exercise in getting my mother to and from her various holiday parties with her pals. This means making successful “covered dishes.” 

Mom's go-to dish for something that can be easily reheated once you arrive? Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes from the Good Housekeeping Cook Book 1955. 

After having watched her make it twice, I have concluded that it’s the scalded milk and the Gruyère that really makes the dish. Here is the most successful crowd-pleaser you’ll ever cook.

Ingredients

1955 Good Housekeeping Cookbook

4 c potatoes, thinly sliced

2/3 c minced onions (my mom slices them thinly and doesn’t mince them)

1 1/2 c scalded milk (you can do this in the micro or on the burner, entirely up to you)

1 c  Gruyère cheese (Mom relies on  Gruyère over Swiss for this dish)

2 T butter

2 T flour

1 t salt (Mom used Lawry’s seasoned salt, so she doesn’t add in the paprika separately)

1/4 t pepper  

Mom has found that you don’t really need to follow recipes precisely. In fact, it’s absolutely not required in order to make this recipe shine. This fact may explain the tenor of my website—make recipes your own and you’ll feel much more confident in making your own dishes.

In this instance, you can switch out the lousy cheeses available to Americans in the 1950s, and jazz it up with Gruyère. Just layer the potatoes, onions, cheese, and seasoned flour (Flour, salt, and pepper) like you would a lasagna as evenly as possibly.

If you run out of the flour mixture too soon, create a little more to finish the preparation. The key is to tuck in the onions throughout evenly, so all parts receive the tang of the sharp yellow onions.

My mom then bakes at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  She uncovers the dish to brown the top for about 15 minutes.

Layered and Ready for the Oven

For the record, the leftovers are great because it reheats like a dream in the micro. Remember my microwave reheating rules: 

• First, take the chill off it for about 30 seconds.
• Let it sit for a minute.
• Then depending on the portion size, reheat covered for about 2 full minutes.
• It’ll be like hot lava when you take it out, so let it sit for a solid minute, once it hits the table.

Good Housekeeping's Finest

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