This recipe is my gluten-free adaptation of the best scalloped potato recipe I have ever found! It's the amazing recipe I have made for my family and friends for years, but without the gluten. I got the original one from a friend and for decades followed its handwritten instructions in my book of favourite standbys.
Well-seasoned white sauce flows between soft, thin layers of cooked potato and onion. The whole thing gets topped off with lots of gooey, melted cheese and a sprinkling of paprika.
Gluten-Free Scalloped Potato Ingredients
- Potatoes: A starchy potato such as Yukon Gold or Russet is best for making scalloped potatoes, but I use whatever kind I happen to have on hand.
- Milk: I've made this recipe with cow's milk, almond milk, and cashew milk. Any of them work fine.
- Cheese: Cheddar cheese, the older the better, is great for melting over the top of your scalloped potatoes. If, like me, you don't do well with the casein in cow's milk, try a goat cheddar. I used white goat cheddar in this recipe. The golden colour comes from the paprika and browning in the oven.
- Butter: I use butter, since it's a fat and it's the protein (casein) in dairy that bothers me. If you can't have any dairy at all, replace the butter with a healthful oil such as avocado oil.
- Rice Flour: Rice flour is a great substitute for wheat flour as a thickener in baking, as you'll read in Gluten Free Flours.
How to Make Gluten-Free Scalloped Potatoes
Quick and Easy Preparation Tip
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While you can chop the onions and slice the potatoes by hand, some equipment will save you a lot of time and effort. A mandoline slicer will help with the potato slicing. If you have a food processor, though, these steps will be a snap!
I simply chop the onion in the bowl of my food processor and set it aside. Then I switch from the chopping blade to a slicing blade and run my peeled potatoes through in a minute! There's a very old video that shows how I use my food processor.
- Melt the butter or heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Whisk rice flour and seasonings into milk.
3. Whisk the milk mixture into the butter and cook until it thickens.
4. Finely chop the onion.
5. Slice the potatoes.
6. Layer in a buttered pan: ⅓ potatoes, ½ onions, ⅓ sauce.
7. Add two more layers and top it all with shredded cheese.
8. Sprinkle with paprika and bake it on a tray to catch the drips.
Recipe FAQ's
I like to peel my potatoes for scalloped potatoes. The smooth, creamy whiteness is one of the special features of this recipe.
If you prefer to leave the potatoes unpeeled, just make sure that they're well scrubbed. This will give you a more rustic version.
Rice flour is a great gluten-free thickener for scalloped potatoes. Whisk it into cold milk, so there are no lumps remaining. Then whisk this mixture over medium-high heat until it thickens. Pour this thickened cream sauce over your scalloped potato ingredients as you add them in layers.
Your scalloped potatoes might get watery if your sliced potatoes have been soaked in water. Soaking removes a lot of the starch which helps to thicken up this dish. I recommend making your cream sauce first, so it's ready to go. Then slice your potatoes just before assembling with onion and cream sauce and baking.
All raw potatoes are gluten-free. Processed, semi-prepared potatoes may have had gluten added somewhere along the way. You'll be safe with simple, raw potatoes with the skins still intact. As with any produce, always wash well before consuming.
You'll know the scalloped potatoes are done if, as liquid bubbles up around the edges, you poke a paring knife or a fork down into the centre, and it slides in easily.
What to serve with Scalloped Potatoes
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup cashew milk or milk of choice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream or milk of choice
- ¼ cup white rice flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetables
- 1 medium cooking onion finely chopped
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
Topping
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
- smoked paprika
Instructions
Sauce
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat.¼ cup butter
- Whisk the rice flour, salt, and pepper into one cup of cold milk. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Continue stirring as you add the cream or remaining milk and until the mixture thickens.1 cup cashew milk¼ cup white rice flour1 teaspoon fine sea salt½ teaspoon ground black pepper1 cup heavy whipping cream
Assembling the Dish
- Preheat oven to 425℉ (218℃).
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 1½-quart (1.4 L) casserole dish or baking pan.
- Layer one-third of the sliced potatoes into the buttered dish. Cover with half of the chopped onions. Pour one-third of the sauce over this.Layer on another third of the potatoes, remaining onions, and one-third of the sauce.Add remaining potatoes, pouring remaining sauce over all.2 pounds potatoes1 medium cooking onion
- Top with shredded cheese.6 ounces cheddar cheese
- Sprinkle generously with smoked paprika.smoked paprika
- Bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until potatoes feel soft when gently poked with a knife.
Notes
- The important secret to this recipe is in the sauce. The flavourful creaminess is achieved by stirring rice flour and generous amounts of salt and pepper into cold milk and then into melted butter before cooking it.
- You can use either all (2 cups) plant based milk or half (1 cup) milk and half (1 cup) heavy cream.
- Don't slice your potatoes ahead planning to soak them in water. Have everything set up to slice the potatoes just before assembling and baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts were calculated using 2 cups plain, unsweetened cashew milk.
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