This lightened up dairy-free scalloped potato recipe comes together effortlessly in one pan using a gluten-free bechamel, shallots and scallions. Like a classic au gratin, it’s an elegant holiday side dish, or make-ahead option for a weeknight that you can serve alongside rotisserie chicken or roasted pork loin and a simple salad.
When I was going through my carb wishlist for my latest cookbook, I really struggled with the potato chapter. There were just so many culturally significant recipes involving spuds, especially American dishes that we’re used to having on the holiday table. Which is all to say that somehow along the way, gluten-free scalloped potatoes didn’t make the cut and I have REGRETS that I wish to rectify right here, right now.
One of the most annoying aspects of making dairy-free scalloped potatoes is also what makes it such an impressive, effortlessly elegant dish. And that is the slicing of the potatoes. Effortless, it is not. But worth it? Yes, absolutely.
Since the only emergency room visit I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing as an adult was due to a mandolin-related incident, I prefer to thinly slice my potatoes by hand with a sharp knife. If you go slowly, you can get the same tissue thin slices.
The second labor-intensive element of making classic scalloped potatoes gluten-free is making a bechamel. When you’re comparing a potato scallop to its French cousin, au gratin, one of the points of differentiation is that the latter often uses cheese. This allows you to often skip the bechamel and use heavy cream since the melted cheese acts as a glue in the casserole.
How to Make Gluten-Free and Dairy-free Scalloped Potatoes
Since I’m making scalloped potatoes that are both gluten-free and dairy-free, I opted for making a béchamel using plant-based milk and white rice flour. You can use whatever gluten-free flour you have on hand. Béchamel sauce does not require much and most options will give you the thickness you desire. For the milk, I prefer unsweetened almond, oat or coconut.
If you find bechamel sauces intimidating, you can do a blender hack to make a base that’s similar to my gluten-free and dairy-free alfredo sauce. And if you’re not vegan, you could also explore using my dairy-free cream of chicken soup as a base.
I typically make this dairy-free scalloped potato recipe without cheese, but I’ve added it as an optional element for anyone who wants a low dairy option or might experiment with plant-based cheeses. It’s not necessary, but does have the added benefit of making the top of the gluten-free scalloped potato casserole a lovely golden brown.
For convenience, I’ve designed this recipe to use only one pan. You make the bechamel in a skillet and then toss in your potatoes. This can be slightly messier than tossing everything together in a bowl, but I’d rather wipe a few bechamel streaks off my counter than have to wash an additional pan and a bowl. Simply start with an oven safe pan – I like this cast iron skillet for its surface area.
The last element that sets my dairy-free scalloped potatoes apart is that I use a mix of shallots and scallions instead of onions. I find that these melt away a little better in the potato mixture and impart a lovely flavor. If you want to give them a southwestern spin, try adding diced jalapeno! It’s a favorite flavor combination that I also use in this gluten-free mac and cheese.
Read on for this dairy-free scalloped potatoes recipe and let me know if there are any other classics you’d like me to explore! If you’re planning for Thanksgiving, don’t sleep on this gluten and dairy-free sweet potato casserole too!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Easy & Elegant Scalloped Potatoes (Gluten and Dairy-Free)
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons plant-based butter or olive oil divided
- 2 large shallots thinly sliced
- 1 bunch scallions white and green parts separated, both thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons white rice flour or AP gluten-free flour
- 1 1/2 cups plant-based milk
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth or white wine!
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes skin on, sliced ⅛-inch thick
- 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese or plant-based alternative optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the dairy-free butter or oil over a medium flame. Add the shallots and white scallions. Sauté until soft and beginning to caramelize, 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil or butter. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until incorporated into a thick paste. Slowly stream in the milk and stock, whisking to combine. Simmer the sauce over medium heat until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. If it’s not getting there, don’t stress. The sauce will thicken more in the oven and as it cools. Season with the salt.
Carefully transfer the potatoes, shallot mixture, and half the green scallions to the pan and toss to coat in the dairy-free cream mixture. Arrange in an even layer. If using, sprinkle the potatoes with the cheese.
Cover the skillet with foil and bake for 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the potatoes are cooked through and crispy around the edges and the cheese, if using, is lightly browned on top, 20 to 30 minutes.
Allow the gluten-free potato scallop to stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving warm garnished with the remaining scallions.
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!