Grandma's Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

While thinking about the title of this post, I thought I might call it "Mama's Scalloped Potatoes."  Then I thought wait just a gosh dern minute, there- I am a Grandma now!  Doesn't it sound so much better to say "Grandma's" anything?  Everyone knows Grandma is a good cook!  First I will tell you how the recipe reads from my 1977 American Classic vintage Betty Crocker cookbook, (I just looked it up on Amazon and that is the description) then I'll tell you how Grandma does it. 

Scalloped Potatoes

No sauce to make!  Only a mix could be faster.

2 pounds potatoes (about 6 medium)

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 1/2 cups milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

 Wash potatoes, pare thinly and remove eyes.

  Cut potatoes into then slices and measure about 4 cups.

In greased 2-quart casserole, arrange potatoes in 4 layers, sprinkling each of the first 3 layers with 1 tablespoon onion, 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt dash pepper and dotting each with 1 tablespoon butter.  Sprinkle top with remaining onion, salt and pepper and dot with remaining butter.  Heat milk just to scalding; pour over potatoes.  Cover; bake 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 60-70 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

  Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

4 to 6 servings.

I always (nearly always) change recipes.  I make them "better."  Now, do you see any cheese in Betty's recipe?  No.  In my cookbook, I have written one cup cheese.  At some point in time, I decided that I was no longer a quivering rabbit of a cook and that I would cook like a Grandma- I don't really measure.  I look at this recipe to see how long to cook the potatoes and when to cover/uncover and what temperature.  Other than that, I wing it. 

First, get you a big strong man to peel and slice your potatoes.  Be sure and say "Honey" when you ask him to peel and slice your potatoes.  Then give him lots of praise. Then tell him to get out of the way.

This is what your first layer should look like:

 I leave the flour bag sitting out and use a serving spoon tablespoon and get a big ol' spoonful of flour and shake it over the layer of potatoes.  Then I give each of the salt and pepper a twist over the potatoes.  Then I chunk off some butter (Grandma wants you to note here that she only uses butter and never margarine because margarine is only one molecule away from being plastic and Grandma doesn't want plastic in her food or body.)  and chunk off some Velveeta.  Yes, Grandma said Velveeta.  Don't tell me it isn't cheese- the box says "cheese food" right on the label.  And, from someone who grew up eating her Grandma's government cheese, Velveeta is good stuff.  (And I liked government cheese just fine, thank you very much.  Raise your hand if you remember government cheese.)

Do you see any onions in Grandma's scalloped potatoes?
No. 
Grandma has colitis and can't eat onions any longer. 
I do scald the milk and I do measure out two and a half cups.  But I gauge if I have enough milk by the way that it looks in the pan.  You  want the milk to about three quarters of an inch from the top.  I pile everything high- it will cook down.  And, put a baking sheet under your pan because most likely, it will run over. 

 I should have put the foil back on near the end, but I didn't check on them, so some of my potatoes and cheese burned a little.  Oh well.  Most people like it like that.  Grandmas don't worry over such trivial details.

 Yum.

 Yum.

Just like Andy Griffith used to say "Now, that is goooooooooood!"