A holiday appetizer or side dish that is sure to please are these Scalloped Potato Stacks, a crunchy, cheesy, and indulgent snack!
Entertaining seems endless around the holidays. There is so much to do, so many people to see, and so many gifts to wrap. Making easy, yet delicious food is a must in order to get dinner on the table.
Keep things simple with these Scalloped Potato Stacks, the perfect appetizer or side dish for this Christmas or New Year’s party. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with cheese and garlicky cream before baking in a muffin tin for adorable individual servings! These little bites are perfect piping hot or at room temperature.
How to Thinly Slice Potatoes
For scalloped potatoes, the spuds need to be sliced as thin and uniform as possible. Since we also want this recipe to be simple, start by using either a mandolin or a slicing attachment on your food processor. This way, you save the time instead of using a knife. Of course, use a knife if you do not have a mandolin or food processor.
The key is to get perfect potato slices. If your potatoes are all different shapes, they will cook at varied times in the oven, leading to underdone or overdone stacks. When cutting, be as uniform as humanly possible!
Ingredients in Scalloped Potato Stacks
- 1½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
- ½ pound sliced deli mozzarella cheese, cut into quarters
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Fresh herbs, for garnish
How to Make Scalloped Potato Stacks
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Begin by slicing your potatoes. Use potatoes that will fit inside a muffin tin; avoid potatoes that are too wide. Place the sliced potatoes into a bowl of salted ice water to keep them from browning and to season the potatoes. Allow them to sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
Slice your cheese so that it is of similar size to the potatoes. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream over low heat. Add the garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Allow to steep for 5 minutes, allowing the mixture to get hot but not come to a boil.
Once hot and fragrant, remove from the heat.
In a metal muffin tin, spray well with cooking spray.
Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Layer a few potato slices until they come up to the middle of the tin. Place a slice of cheese on top of the potatoes, then continue the stack until the potatoes reach the top of the tin. Top with cheese. Continue layering potatoes and cheese in the rest of the muffin cups.
Remove the solids from the seasoned cream. Pour the cream into each muffin tin, filling about ¾ of the way up. Do not overfill.
Place the muffin tin over a baking sheet to catch any drips. Then place foil over the top of the muffin pan and put in your preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are crispy, browned, and the cream has absorbed into the potatoes. Check the potatoes often so they do not burn.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before turning them onto a plate. If serving as a side dish, serve warm. If serving as an appetizer, serve at room temperature. Top with fresh herbs as garnish.
Scalloped Potato Stacks
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound sliced deli mozzarella cheese, cut into quarters
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- fresh herbs, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Begin by slicing your potatoes. Use potatoes that will fit inside a muffin tin; avoid potatoes that are too wide. Place the sliced potatoes into a bowl of salted ice water to keep them from browning and to season the potatoes. Allow them to sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Slice your cheese so that it is of similar size to the potatoes. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream over low heat. Add the garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Allow to steep for 5 minutes, allowing the mixture to get hot but not come to a boil.
- Once hot and fragrant, remove from the heat.
- In a metal muffin tin, spray well with cooking spray.
- Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Layer a few potato slices until they come up to the middle of the tin. Place a slice of cheese on top of the potatoes, then continue the stack until the potatoes reach the top of the tin. Top with cheese. Continue layering potatoes and cheese in the rest of the muffin cups.
- Remove the solids from the seasoned cream. Pour the cream into each muffin tin, filling about ¾ of the way up. Do not overfill.
- Place the muffin tin over a baking sheet to catch any drips. Then place foil over the top of the muffin pan and put in your preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are crispy, browned, and the cream has absorbed into the potatoes. Check the potatoes often so they do not burn.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before turning them onto a plate. If serving as a side dish, serve warm. If serving as an appetizer, serve at room temperature. Top with fresh herbs as garnish.
