Butter-Free, Milk-Free Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

New-fashioned creamy scalloped potatoes made without butter or milk!

Thanksgiving is creeping up on me far too quick…help!

I had a line-up of various recipes for the blog this year and have literally posted none of them.

I swear, I’m an incredibly organized human being, but we’ve been hit left and right with out-of-the-ordinary circumstances lately.

This weekend, for instance, my husband unexpectedly had to have a tooth pulled.

I could barely listen to him describe the pain he was in, as my physical empathy with people I am close to runs high.

Jade gets a sore throat, an hour later, I get a sore throat. Nat gets a rash, 20 minutes later, I’m the one itching.

I was literally anxious that my teeth might start degrading in my mouth after hearing his detailed account…again, help!

Despite all his buccal drama, the hubs was able to enjoy this delicious potato dish with us.

This isn’t a classic for me, I’ve really only been making it for under a year. For Thanksgiving, however, my mom will be having dinner at our house, and she loves scalloped potatoes. So, I figured a ‘healthified’ version would delight her tater-loving papillae and possibly get her to crack a smile.

In lieu of the typical butter and milk combo, I’ve employed a rather interesting technique to create the ‘cream’ sauce…onions!

Yes, yes, tis true.

If you cut up a couple of onions, add in a few spices, a dash of salt, and a glug of olive oil, you get a rich and creamy sauce that you won’t believe is made from the tear-jerking veggie.

Top it all off with some cheese (or not), and you’ve got one hell of a side dish that even the kiddies enjoy!

Print Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes

Butter-Free, Milk-Free Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

New-fashioned creamy scalloped potatoes made without butter or milk!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr 15 mins

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Potatoes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 122kcal

Ingredients

• 2 yellow onions , sliced thin
• 3/4 c . water
• 2 garlic cloves
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 t . dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 t . sea salt
• 2 T . olive oil
• 2 pounds red potatoes , sliced thin
• cheese , optional (see Notes)

Instructions

• Combine onion, water, garlic, spices, and salt in a large frying pan. Cover and simmer everything for 20 minutes until the onions are very soft.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove the bay leaves.
• Blend the onion mixture with the olive oil until smooth.
• In a large bowl, gently toss the sliced potatoes with the onion sauce.
• Pour the potatoes into a well-oiled 9-inch baking dish.
• Top the potatoes with as much or little or no cheese as you like.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for 60-70 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
• Uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the top is golden.
• Cool a bit and serve!

Notes

Fat: 3.7 g Carbs: 20.9 g Sugar: 2.3 g Protein: 2.5 g; WW SmartPoints: 4; Nutrition facts don't include cheese, as it is subjective.

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcal

Notes:

I like to use raw white cheddar cheese for this recipe (about 1 – 1 1/2 cups, loosely packed).

What side dishes will you be serving this year?