These scalloped potatoes sidestep traditional unhealthful ingredients like cream, butter, and cheese—and even added salt, and they still taste amazing. Garlic, paprika, black pepper, sweet onion, and fresh thyme combine to deliver top-notch flavors!
Note: Despite all the text below, this is not a difficult recipe. I just thought I would go ahead and address the questions that will likely come up, including types of potatoes, cashews, pan size, mandolines, aluminum foil, etc.
Scalloped Potatoes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 ounces raw, unsalted cashews (about ½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 medium clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ medium yellow onion (I like sweet onions in this dish)
- 2½ pounds Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, loosely packed
Instructions
- To start the sauce, place the water, cashews, rolled oats, garlic, paprika, and black pepper into a blender, and set aside (so the cashew can soften).
- Preheat the oven to 370°F. Set aside a 2½ quart baking dish (you do not need to oil or use parchment paper).
- To thinly slice the onion and potatoes, I recommend a mandoline slicer to get uniform slices, especially of the potato. Thinly slice the onion and place into a small bowl. Slice the peeled potatoes to be ⅛ inch or so, and place the stacks on a plate.
- To finish the sauce, blend the soaking ingredients until smooth. Add the thyme leaves, and blend just briefly, so you can still see small flecks of thyme.
- Assemble the casserole as follows: (1) Pour 2 tablespoons of sauce into the bottom of the dish, tilting the dish to coat evenly. (2) Place ¼ of the potatoes in the bottom dish, only slightly overlapping them (use the thickest potatoes). Spread ⅓ of the sliced onions over the potatoes. Pour ½ cup of the sauce over the top. (3) Add a second and third layer in the same way. (Use any oddly shaped potatoes for the inner layers.) (4) Place the fourth and final layer of potatoes on top (save the nicest looking potatoes for the top), layering in the same way, or cutting the potatoes in half lengthwise (as shown below) for a nice design. Pour the remaining sauce (will be about 1 cup) evenly across the top.
- Cover (see Notes) and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the cover, and pierce the potatoes with a knife. They should be tender but not falling apart (if they’re still pretty hard, you may want to bake another 5 to 10 minutes), and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes to cook down some of the remaining liquid.
- If you’d like a browned top, set the oven to broil, and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, watching carefully that it does not burn. Remove from the oven, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Covering the dish: If your dish comes with a glass lid, use that. Or you may use foil, or Reynold's "Pan Lining Paper," which has foil on one side and parchment on the other (you'd place the parchment toward the food).
Potatoes: Waxy potatoes, like Yukon gold and red, work best for this type of recipe so that they’ll hold their shape after the long baking period. You could use Russets in a pinch, but check for doneness earlier in baking, so they don’t get too mushy and overdone. Ideally, you want the potatoes to retain their shape and layers while still being tender.
Cashews: This dish really needs some creamy richness (to replace traditional butter and cheese), and the cashews are perfect for this; and the fat helps hold the layers together (along with the bit of oats). If you don’t eat cashews, you can try another nut or seed, although I have not experimented beyond cashews. Sometimes I recommend replacing white beans for cashews in salad dressings, but I don’t think that would work here. If you find an alternative that works well, please leave a comment below.
Oats: I used the 1 tablespoon of oats to help thicken the sauce; but any kind of flour would work.
Herbs: I like thyme in this, but I think fresh rosemary would be great too. A little sage would also be nice. If you don't have fresh herbs on hand, use a tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning blend.
Mandoline: This recipe is the perfect dish for using a mandoline, which is a very sharp and precise slicer made for uniformly cutting vegetables of all types. For this recipe you want the potatoes the same thickness so they bake evenly. If you don’t’ have a mandoline, you could use a sharp 8-inch chef’s knife, but be very careful not to cut your hand when slicing.
Baking dish: My favorite glass dish for this recipe is 2.5 quarts. If you use another dish close in size, that is fine. Since different sized dishes cooking at different rates, just be aware of how done the potatoes are getting; you don’t want them too underdone (hard) or overdone (mushy).
Potatoes: Waxy potatoes, like Yukon gold and red, work best for this type of recipe so that they’ll hold their shape after the long baking period. You could use Russets in a pinch, but check for doneness earlier in baking, so they don’t get too mushy and overdone. Ideally, you want the potatoes to retain their shape and layers while still being tender.
Cashews: This dish really needs some creamy richness (to replace traditional butter and cheese), and the cashews are perfect for this; and the fat helps hold the layers together (along with the bit of oats). If you don’t eat cashews, you can try another nut or seed, although I have not experimented beyond cashews. Sometimes I recommend replacing white beans for cashews in salad dressings, but I don’t think that would work here. If you find an alternative that works well, please leave a comment below.
Oats: I used the 1 tablespoon of oats to help thicken the sauce; but any kind of flour would work.
Herbs: I like thyme in this, but I think fresh rosemary would be great too. A little sage would also be nice. If you don't have fresh herbs on hand, use a tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning blend.
Mandoline: This recipe is the perfect dish for using a mandoline, which is a very sharp and precise slicer made for uniformly cutting vegetables of all types. For this recipe you want the potatoes the same thickness so they bake evenly. If you don’t’ have a mandoline, you could use a sharp 8-inch chef’s knife, but be very careful not to cut your hand when slicing.
Baking dish: My favorite glass dish for this recipe is 2.5 quarts. If you use another dish close in size, that is fine. Since different sized dishes cooking at different rates, just be aware of how done the potatoes are getting; you don’t want them too underdone (hard) or overdone (mushy).
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 217 g (1/8 recipe) Calories: 179 Fat: 3.4 g Saturated fat: 0.6 g Carbohydrates: 33.4 g Sugar: 2.9 g Sodium: 13.7 mg Fiber: 3.5 g Protein: 4.5 g Cholesterol: 0
Above: This shows the very top layer, where I have cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and added the remaining sauce over the top, just before covering and baking.
Above: This is after baking and browning the top on broil. The cashew “cheese” does a great job of replacing dairy to create a creamy effect.
Above: Reheated leftovers that I have dusted with ground cashews, using a rotary cheese grater to give the impression of a dry cheese. The green garnish is thyme.
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please share a comment below or on my Facebook page. If you’d like to print this recipe, use the green “Print” button near the top-right of the recipe. Learn more about the Straight Up Food Cookbook here. Thank you!
Could you make this the day before you bake it?
I think so. 🙂
You are a wonderful vegan cook. Truly exceptional recipes. Thanks for the steps.
Aw, thanks Diana! 😉 xo
I believe in your notes you mean “mandoline” rather than “mandolin.” At least I hope you do. 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandolin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandoline
Ha! Thanks so much, Jeff! I did not know there was a different spelling. 🙂
Looks like a tasty recipe. Thank you. I really like the idea of the cashews. Could you add nutritional yeast to the sauce for a more cheesy flavour or will it get lost in the crowd? How about stock instead of water for extra oompf to the potatoes? Your photo ‘baking and browning’ is nice. Gives a good idea of what to aim for.
I think both of those would be fine. 🙂
This was AWESOME!!! Made it for our Christmas eve dinner….my meat/ dairy eating daughter preferred this to traditional scalloped potatoes…..a keeper recipe to be sure!!🎄🎄
I had no cashews, so substituted peanuts……,subbed parsley for the thyme.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Yay! Thanks Susan! 🙂
P.S. Merry Christmas!
I forgot to mention that I added a very healthy amount of Turmeric!
I made this as our main course for our Christmas Dinner. It was awesome. I added a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to the sauce mixture. This will certainly me a recipe that I use on a regular basis. Thanks so much.
That’s great! Thanks for the feedback Richard! 🙂
Thanks for this recipe, they were our main dish on Christmas.
Your recipes and cooking demo are shaping my transition to a new way of cooking. As I attempt something new I always check your cookbook first for ideas. I appreciate the through directions and delicious outcomes!
Thanks Leigh! 😉
I’ve been missing a dish I used to prepare often for gatherings, and I think you may have helped me find the perfect trade-off! It was a recipe I found many years ago in Bon Appetit magazine, Potatoes Boulangere. Thin sliced potatoes layered with lots of butter, chicken broth, and Jarlsberg Cheese, or a light Swiss. Baked in a gratin dish at 400 degrees. I think you’ve shared a wonderful alternative! I’ve made lots of your recipes over the past 4-5 years, and loved every one of them. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Annie! 🙂
Hi Cathy,
I made these today for the family and everybody really liked them. Lovely recipe and definitely will appear on our plates again.
Have a great 2018!
Kerstin 🙂
I make mine with pureed cauliflower and the same spices you mention. There’s no need for anything creamy (aka nuts or oats), as the potatoes and cauliflower sort of combine during cooking to produce a very creamy sauce. They’re divine.
Thanks for sharing as I am allergic to cashews 🙁 I will try it with the cauliflower.
Wow – what a great idea – thank you for the inspiration!
How about using tahini? Would I need to use 2 cups of it? Love your website and book. Changing my eating habits deliciously!
Hmm, not sure how much you’d need, but 2 cups sounds like a lot. Maybe 1/2 cup? Or even less. Tahini has a strong flavor that doesn’t sound very good to me in this dish, but if you make it and it turns out well, please let me know. 🙂
Hi Cathy and Lois! I make this recipe often and always use 1/4 cup of tahini instead of cashews. I also add a teaspoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of nooch. Works for me.
This recipe does didn’t seem to work for me…there’s no salt in the recipe and it lacked flavor. Maybe seasoning each layer would help?
Hi Kim, I don’t use added salt, so if you’re used to adding it, you’re going to miss it. I try to make up flavor with other seasonings while still striving to stay true to the traditional recipe, so did not add a lot of other seasoning. But you can add whatever you like certainly. 🙂
I tend to eat more sweet potatoes than white potatoes. Any thoughts/experience on whether this could be made with sweet potatoes? By the way, LOVE your quinoa cornbread recipe in the book!!
Thanks Doris! 😉 I think sweet potatoes would be fine or half and half. The cooking time may also be less since sweets generally cook faster.
I made your scalloped Potatos for lunch today…. I baked them in my Treager Smoker they were delicious……. I am also making the Peach Pie lets on the Treager as well.. Should be delicious as well…
Hi Cathy, I have wanted to make this recipe for a while and just made it today! It was amazing and the family loved it! It will be on our table this holiday season! Thank you for your recipes. It’s good to know where to find healthy and delicious food!
Yay! Thanks Nicole! 🙂
Could you be more specific in dish type, measurement… As I have several 2.5 qt baking dishes but some are tall & smaller around & some are longer shallower… Is it a 9×13 pan or 9×9, a loaf style?
You can see the photo of the pan I used (below the recipe); I like this slightly deeper but smaller around pan. I’d use a 9×9 before a 9×13 however (and I think a loaf pan would be too tall, and the potatoes in the center may not cook through).
Cathy: Your recipes are outstanding! I found you in the NHA magazine – thank you for all your hard work – it is truly appreciated. Jayney xx
Thank you so much, Jayney! 🙂 Welcome!
Hi Cathy. I made this dish yesterday for a plant based Thanksgiving potluck. It needed to be without salt, oil or refined sugar and your recipe really helped me out! It was well received and I liked it, too. I am new to this way of cooking/eating and I will definitely be trying more of your recipes. Many thanks! 🙂
Great Kathy, thank you! 😉
Is it necessary to use the Oats?
Probably not; it just adds a bit of thickness. You could leave it out or replace with another thickener like arrowroot or cornstarch probably.
O. M. G.
Cathy, these are SO GOOD! I finally got around to making these scalloped potatoes a few weeks ago, and we have been on a scalloped potato bender ever since. 😋 I’ve been making them at least once a week since mid-January.😁 So creamy, tasty and warming during the cold winter months, but not heavy and greasy. Who would have thought my favorite dish from childhood could be back on the menu?
I did as another person suggested and added a couple of Tablespoons of nutritional yeast. I also add a 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder. I used russet potatoes, which are my family’s favorite, and it works perfectly.
Thank you again for all that you do.
BTW: we think this recipe barely serves 4. LOL.
Wow, thanks Pam! 😉