There were certain food pairings in the Pollock house that never varied. When meatloaf was on the table, it was a given that these scalloped potatoes and green beans were faithfully by its side. No, maybe not a given—a guarantee, something you could bet the farm on. Today we serve these potatoes with more than just meatloaf. In fact, they’re a great sidekick for Beef Burgundy (page 68) and our Coq au Vin (page 78).

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 to 10 servings

　　3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan

　　3 to 4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and in 1/8-inch-thick slices

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

　　1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

　　3 1/2 cups whole milk

　　1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with some butter.

　　

Step 2

Layer one-third of the potato slices in the bottom of the casserole dish, overlapping slightly, so that the dish is completely covered. Dot the top of the potatoes with 4 tablespoons of the butter, then season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the rosemary. Repeat these layers two more times. Pour the milk over the top of the potatoes.

　　

Step 3

Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and evenly sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the potatoes. Bake for 30 more minutes or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes can be pierced with a knife easily.

　　

note

Step 4

Vegetarian friendly!

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.