This old fashioned potato side dish has been a favorite in my family for many, many years. My grandmother made it for her family and my mother made it for us. My own children also enjoyed it.
Of course like any of these dishes, each generation adds something into the mix. I strongly suspect in my grandmother's day it was just the corn, milk, potatoes, onions and seasoning.
Mom always added a bit of summer savory to the mix. I no longer do that myself, but I do like to add some cheese to the layers.
Basically it is just creamed corn, sliced potato, and sliced onion layered in a baking dish with some flour and cheese, as well as seasoning between the layers.
A bit of milk is poured over top and then the whole lot is baked in the oven until the potatoes are tender. I also like to add a layer of buttered cracker crumbs on top.
I am a person who likes a bit of crunch on things like this. You can't beat buttered cracker crumbs, although I have also been known to use bread crumbs as well when I didn't have any crackers.
I love that crunchy buttery topping and my family did as well. When this was on the menu, my children were very happy campers!
I loved it because I could make the dish as large or as small as I needed it to be, depending on how many mouths there were sitting around the table. Its very easy to amp up or amp down. A lot of these old recipes are!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CORN AND POTATO SCALLOP
Simple store cupboard ingredients. I love recipes like this. Simple ingredients put together in a most delicious way!
- potatoes
- onions
- grated cheese
- whole milk
- salt and black pepper
- creamed corn
- all purpose flour
- buttered cracker crumbs
Unlike regular scalloped potatoes, there is no need to make a cream sauce on top of the stove. This simple recipe leaves that step out.
Instead the creamed corn, milk, cheese and flour work together in this tasty dish to make a creamy sauce.
HOW TO PREPARE THE VEGETABLES FOR CORN AND POTATO SCALLOP
Generally speaking one large potato and a small onion will be all you need for every two to three people. I like to use a russet type of potato. I do peel both the potato and the onion.
Once you have your potato peeled, cut it in half lengthwise and then cut each half crosswise into thin slices, each resembling a half moon.
The onion is treated the same way. Peel, cut in half lengthwise and then cut in half crosswise into half moons.
HOW TO MAKE CORN AND POTATO SCALLOP
Once you have your vegetables all prepped it is as simple as just layering things up in your casserole dish. Its not difficult at all.
The size of the casserole dish you use will depend on how many people you are feeding and how many potatoes you are using. Today I was making a small-batch which would feed only two to three people.
I used a 2-cup (1-pint) round Pyrex casserole dish which has a lid. Butter the dish really well. (This makes clean up a lot easier.)
I start by spreading about 1/4 of the can of creamed corn in the bottom of the dish. Onto that I put a layer of potatoes. I tend to do this in concentric circles, beginning at the outer edge.
Next I add a layer of onion. I always separate the half moons of sliced onion into separate bits. I just scatter some of these over top, and then dollop on another 1/4 of the can of creamed corn.
I season with some salt and pepper and sprinkle on a bit of flour and some grated cheese. Not a lot of any one thing, but just enough so that you know it is there. If you don't want to use cheese, you can dot with butter.
The cheese/butter works with the flour and cream corn to make a sauce when it bakes. I just keep repeating the layers until everything is used up, ending with some cheese on top if I can. Over that I scatter the buttered cracker crumbs.
It works out to 4 layers of creamed corn and three of everything else, if that makes sense. Once you have everything layered in you add some milk.
How much milk you need depends on how much you have in the dish and the size of your dish. I use the tip of a knife to move things around a bit so that the milk can get right down to the bottom of the dish.
You do not want anymore than 1/3 of the casserole dish filled with milk, unless you want a mess at the end. (Milk doubles in volume when heated!) Cover tightly and bake until the potatoes are tender and everything is bubbling away.
You can remove the cover for the last five to ten minutes of baking so that the cracker crumbs get all nicely browned and crispy. That's it!
This is such a simple homey dish. It wouldn't win any beauty contests, but I can tell you it would probably come first place in a taste contest because it is extremely delicious.
I can't think of anything that wouldn't go with this. Yesterday I had it with some roast ham, but it is just as good with chicken, or pork, lamb, fish, etc. Its just plain good eating no matter what!
I really hope you will make it! I used the smaller can of cream corn yesterday. When I make it for a larger group I use a large can, maybe even more depending.
I don't personally think there is such a thing as too much cream corn, but then again, I have been known to eat it with a spoon, cold and fresh out of the tin. 😆 Yes, I am that person!
Corn and Potato Scallop
Yield: 2 - 3
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
This old fashioned side dish is an old family favorite. You can multiply it very easily to serve more people if you wish. Its delicious, easy to make and goes with just about any protein you can think of!
Ingredients
- 1 large potato, peeled
- 1 small onion, peeled
- 1 can of creamed corn (you may not need it all)
- 2 TBS flour to sprinkle
- salt and black pepper
- grated cheddar cheese to sprinkle (about 4 TBS)
- a handful of buttered cracker crumbs
- milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a small (2 cup/1 pint) deep glass baking dish.
- Cut the potato in half lengthwise and then cut into thin half-moons cross-wise. Do the same with the onion.
- Place 1/4 of the creamed corn in the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with 1/4 of the potatoes and the onions. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with 1/2 TBS flour and 1 TBS of the cheese. Repeat 3 times until you have all layered in the dish.
- Pour the milk over top, using the tip of a knife to move things around a tiny bit in order to allow it to get down to the bottom. Do not fill more than 1/3 of the baking dish with milk. Scatter the buttered cracker crumbs on top and then cover tightly with a lid.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the potatoes are soft and everything is bubbling. Uncover and allow to brown for about 10 minutes.
- Remove and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes:
You may want to place the casserole dish on a baking tray just in case it bubbles over in the oven. Also, I sometimes start this in the microwave to help it cook quicker. About 6 minutes on high, and then pop into the oven as above. It should be done in 35 minutes or so.
Lovely side dish with almost anything. Love and hugs, Elaine
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Elaine! Love and hugs right back, xoxo
DeleteHi Marie, could you elaborate on the "buttered cracker crumbs" for me, please? What type/brand do you use & do you spread them with butter? I'm in Australia. Thank you, Francesca.
ReplyDeleteHi Francesca! You can use any kind of crisp cracker. Saltines, Italian crackers, Ritz, Tuc, etc. Just crumble them with your hands and stir a bit of melted butter into them. The amount depends on how many crackers you use! I hope this helps! Xo
DeleteThank you, Marie, this helps heaps. I will give it a go.
ReplyDeleteI hope that you enjoy it! xo
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