If you've ever visited Disneyland and had the privilege of eating at the Blue Bayou restaurant, you know how amazing their Au-gratin potatoes are! All of their food is tremendous, and they have the best gluten-free rolls, but these potatoes really shine. There are a lot of copycat recipes out there, so I've experimented with many trying to find that perfect recipe. After many tries, I came up with the perfect blend of ingredients that we think taste pretty close to the original! You'll need to plan ahead and be patient because they bake for 2 hours..... but I promise it is so worth the wait!!
Blue Bayou Potatoes
Serves 8
3 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray. In a skillet, melt the butter. Add the sliced onions and saute on medium-low heat until caramelized and brown, about 15 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, thyme leaves, salt, and garlic. Layer the potatoes in the baking dish overlapping to cover the bottom of the dish, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with some of the onions. Repeat layers until you fill the dish. End with potatoes on top. Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes. Cover and bake for 2 hours. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Put under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need russet potatoes, a sweet onion, butter (not pictured), thyme, garlic, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese.
In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the sliced onions.
Cook over medium low heat until browned and caramelized, stirring frequently.
In a mixing bowl, add the 2 cups heavy cream. Strip thyme leaves from the sprigs and add about 2 tablespoons thyme leaves (no need to chop).
Add two teaspoons salt.....
....and 2 tablespoons minced garlic. Stir to combine.
Right before assembling, I slice my potatoes on a mandolin so the slices are nice and uniform. If you do it early, the potatoes can be put in a bowl of water to keep them from turning an off-color.
In a 9x13" baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, create a layer of potatoes overlapping each other to cover the entire bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper, then top with some of the grilled onions. Continue making layers and repeating until the dish is 3/4 full. End with a layer of potatoes on top.
Pour the cream mixture on top of the potatoes.
The garlic will all be spread on top, but that's ok. It cooks down into the potatoes.
Cover and bake at 350°F for 2 hours. Remove from oven and sprinkle with 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.
Return to the oven and broil for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let the potatoes rest and cool for about 15 minutes before serving. The potatoes keep their heat, so it will still be rocket hot! But it will hold together just perfectly to serve. Oh this side dish is AMAZING!!
Every creamy bite is so comforting!
Making scalloped potatoes is a bit time consuming, but so worth it. Especially for special occasions and holidays!
Recipe Source: Shanna's recipe box