Mary Kay Andrews is a popular author who lives in Atlanta and writes books with settings on the East Coast. Some of her books are The Weekenders, Beach Town, Savannah Blues, Summer Rental, and the 2019 release, Sunset Beach. Her books are good reads for summertime entertainment, mixing energetic and colorful characters with local mysteries, and usually a touch of romance. The following recipe is from Mary Kay Andrews’ cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook. This is a great side dish that pairs well with many main entrees. Or, add cubed ham or another meat and it could be a one-dish meal. See more information about the book below.
Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 onion, very thinly sliced
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a large oval baking dish. (See note below.) Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl of salted water.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, or until foamy. Gradually stir in the milk and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in the chicken broth and continue cooking until thickened. Add 1 cup of the Gruyere and stir until melted. Stir in the salt and pepper.
Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Layer half of the potatoes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the onion and half of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with ½ cup Gruyere, ½ cup Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon of the thyme. Repeat the layers once.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, shielding with foil of necessary to prevent overbrowning. Serve.
Note: I used a very large rectangular baking dish. The sauce gets bubbly and may bubble over if the dish is too small. This recipe makes a lot, so it’s good for a crowd. It could easily be halved.
Enjoy!
This recipe and photo came from The Beach House Cookbook by Mary Kay Andrews. The cookbook is filled with menus and recipes that the author grew up with in Florida and that she makes and serves at her beach house on Tybee Island. She also writes about each recipe and why it is special to her and to her family. If some of the dishes sound familiar to her readers, it may be because the dishes were mentioned in her books.
Stay tuned for the next post on September 20th: Road Trip: Guilford Battleground Park.
