Scalloped Potatoes with Shallots, Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic, and Thyme T

By t1bishop

This recipe, adapted from Katzen's book
Vegetable Heaven, uses roasted garlic
rather than cheese to flavor the white
sauce. It involves a number of steps but is a dish great for entertaining. Deep, earthy flavors are created by layering a balsamic enhanced shallot-mushroom mixture with creamy Yukon gold potatoes before adding the white sauce.

Ingredients

• 4 whole garlic heads
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 1/3 cups minced shallots (about
• 15 medium)
• 3 cups chopped mushrooms (8 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh or
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Pecorino
• Romano cheese

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2., Remove white papery skins from garlic heads (do not peel or separate
cloves). Wrap each head separately in
t94-1. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10
minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp (you should have about 1/4 cup). Discard skins.
3. Preheat oven to 3750.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet
over medium-high heat. Add shallots;
saute 3 minutes or until softened. Add
mushrooms; saute 5 minutes. Stir in
vinegar; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat.
5. Place milk, garlic pulp, flour, thyme, salt, and pepper in a food processor; process until smooth.
6_ Arrange one-third of potatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread half of the shallot mixture over potatoes. Repeat procedure with remaining potato slices and shallot mixture, ending with potato slices. Pour milk mixture evenly over potatoes.
7. Cover with foil, bake at 3750 for 30
minutes. Remove foil, bake, uncovered,
30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake
15 minutes or until cheese is golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.