Casserole: Potatoes Au Gratin/ Scalloped Search

Subject: Potatoes Au Gratin/ Scalloped Search
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Katwmns (katwmns at msn.com)
Date: 25 Dec 2005 10:34:00 -0800
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Several years ago I got a great recipe for Potatoes Au Gratin from a Safeway Select Magazine. Now I have misplaced it, and want to make it again, but can't find it anywhere, even on the net. I know it had onions and several kinds of cheeses, including parmesean and romano. If anyone has it, I would love to see it again.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 14:10:47 -0600
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There is a marked difference between scalloped potatoes and potatos au gratin. Au gratin means with cheese and you apparently have some. Good.

Here's the approach. Thinly slice about 1 lb. of potatoes and place them in a baking dish. Now, melt 3 Tbs. butter seasoned with salt & pepper in a saucepan. Stir in 2-3 Tbs. flour. Now stir in 1 cup of milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until the white sauce (bechamel) is smooth and slightly thick. Stir in your cheeses. Cook and stir over medium heat until the cheese is melted. Pour this mixture over the sliced potatoes in the baking dish. Good? Okay. Now bake at about 350F for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is bubbly and lightly browned on the top. You're done :)
From: Dan Abel (dabel at sonic.net)
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 18:42:04 -0800
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> There is a marked difference between scalloped potatoes and potatos au
> gratin. Au gratin means with cheese and you apparently have some. Good.

The phrase "au gratin" means covered with bread crumbs and baked. It often contains cheese.

The word "scalloped" means: To bake in a casserole with milk or a sauce and often with bread crumbs: scalloped potatoes.
From: sf (see_reply_address at nospam.com)
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 20:17:14 -0800
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Dan Abel wrote:
> The phrase "au gratin" means covered with bread crumbs and baked. It
> often contains cheese.
>
> The word "scalloped" means: To bake in a casserole with milk or a sauce
> and often with bread crumbs: scalloped potatoes.

That's the classic interpretation, but practically everyone seems to know that American style potatoes au gratin are brown on top... and don't have any bread crumbs. Mine come from a box and they are just like what mom used to make. :)
From: Christine Dabney (artisan2 at ix.netcom.com)
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 20:19:36 -0800
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sf wrote:
>Mine come from a box and they are just
>like what mom used to make. :)

Mine DON'T come from a box, and are just like Julia and Jacques make them.. ;)
From: Wayne Boatwright (waynesgang at waynes.gang)
Date: 26 Dec 2005 05:40:32 +0100
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Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Christine Dabney?
> Mine DON'T come from a box, and are just like Julia and Jacques make
> them.. ;)

I've never liked the boxed potatoes au gratin or escalloped potatoes. They always tasted artificial to me. The only ones I ever tried were Betty Crocker. However, a few weeks ago I picked up a box of store brand potatoes au gratin sold at our local supermarket chain, Basha's. They were surprisingly excellent. In fact, had I not known it, I don't think I would have known they weren't made from fresh potatoes. I will buy them again, and I'll also try their escalloped potatoes.
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 08:58:24 -0500
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> I've never liked the boxed potatoes au gratin or escalloped potatoes. They
> always tasted artificial to me. The only ones I ever tried were Betty
> Crocker. However, a few weeks ago I picked up a box of store brand
> potatoes au gratin sold at our local supermarket chain, Basha's. They were
> surprisingly excellent. In fact, had I not known it, I don't think I would
> have known they weren't made from fresh potatoes. I will buy them again,
> and I'll also try their escalloped potatoes.

I should just buy some, I cannot picture how those dishes can come in a box. What are they like? Where would you find them in the store?
From: Wayne Boatwright (waynesgang at waynes.gang)
Date: 26 Dec 2005 16:38:13 +0100
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Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Nancy Young?
> I should just buy some, I cannot picture how those dishes can come in a
> box. What are they like? Where would you find them in the store?

When you open the box you'll find it filled with dehydrated slices of potatos and an envelope of dry sauce mix. The potato slices are small, thin, and hard as a rock. They expand to normal size with cooking. The dry sauce mix is combined with butter or margarine and, depending on the brand, water and milk or just milk. When I made them (and liked them) I used extra butter and substituted half and half for the liquid.

In the stores where I shop, they are located where you find Rice-a-Roni and other convenience side dishes. I think some stores have them separated from the rice and pasta convenience foods. I've never cared for the Betty Crocker brand of these.
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 11:00:46 -0500
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Wayne Boatwright wrote

> When you open the box you'll find it filled with dehydrated slices of
> potatos and an envelope of dry sauce mix. The potato slices are small,
> thin, and hard as a rock. They expand to normal size with cooking. The
> dry sauce mix is combined with butter or margarine and, depending on the
> brand, water and milk or just milk. When I made them (and liked them) I
> used extra butter and substituted half and half for the liquid.

This is just amazing to me. I will be picking these up this week.

> In the stores where I shop, they are located where you find Rice-a-Roni and
> other convenience side dishes. I think some stores have them separated
> from the rice and pasta convenience foods. I've never cared for the Betty
> Crocker brand of these.

Gotcha. Thanks for the help! This'll be good for amusement. Always wondered what everyone was talking about, scalloped potatoes in a box? Does not compute ...
From: kilikini (kilikini at NOSPAMtampabay.rr.com)
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 16:50:34 GMT
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Nancy Young wrote:
> Gotcha. Thanks for the help! This'll be good for amusement. Always
> wondered what everyone was talking about, scalloped potatoes in a
> box? Does not compute ...

They're really salty, Nancy, be prepared for that!
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 12:24:43 -0500
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kilikini wrote:
> They're really salty, Nancy, be prepared for that!

Oh! Okay, that'll be expected. I still just have to see this for myself.
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: 26 Dec 2005 15:12:56 -0800
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Nancy Young wrote:
> Oh! Okay, that'll be expected. I still just have to see this for myself.

New Years season is a good time to try something new, but don't set your expectations too high. I've tried several brands and haven't found much to choose from between them. None of them comes close to the real thing because dehydrated potatoes when rehydrated simply are not as good as fresh potatoes. They save you the time of peeling and slicing potatoes. And the box keeps, I assume, longer in the cupboard than a bag of potatoes does. Those are the advantages. Not taste, not texture. That said, they are an acceptable emergency ration, which is what a lot of the stuff in our cupboards is.... -aem
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 08:49:15 -0500
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aem wrote:

> New Years season is a good time to try something new, but don't set
> your expectations too high.

Don't worry about that, I've just been perplexed by my idea of scalloped potatoes and how they could manage to put that into a
box. Not the scalloped or au gratin part, the slices of potato part.

> I've tried several brands and haven't
> found much to choose from between them. None of them comes close to
> the real thing because dehydrated potatoes when rehydrated simply are
> not as good as fresh potatoes. They save you the time of peeling and
> slicing potatoes.

I won't tell my mother, she'd be horrified, you pay money!? for peeled potatoes you can just peel them yourself! Nacy!!

> And the box keeps, I assume, longer in the cupboard
> than a bag of potatoes does. Those are the advantages. Not taste, not
> texture. That said, they are an acceptable emergency ration, which is
> what a lot of the stuff in our cupboards is....

Without a doubt. I don't have a problem with it. I know it's not gore-met. I just want to see it for myself.
From: sf (see_reply_address at nospam.com)
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 12:02:29 -0800
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kilikini wrote:
> They're really salty, Nancy, be prepared for that!

It all depends on how you tolerate salt. Maybe it's too salty for you because you've cut salt out of your diet, but for me... it's fine.

sf
<thinking of buying some soon.... boxed potatoes au gratin and pork chops appeals right now>
From: Damsel in dis Dress
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 15:37:27 -0600
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kilikini wrote:
regarding Betty Crocker's au gratin potatoes in a box:

> They're really salty, Nancy, be prepared for that!

And they're nice and oniony. Gotta have the onion flavor.

Carol, glad she has two boxes in the cupboard
From: Stark (sraven at att.net)
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 13:20:50 GMT
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Nancy Young wrote:
> Gotcha. Thanks for the help! This'll be good for amusement. Always
> wondered what everyone was talking about, scalloped potatoes in a
> box? Does not compute ...

Hey Nan, wait until you see the mashed potatoes in a box. Wow!
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 08:39:43 -0500
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Stark wrote:
> Hey Nan, wait until you see the mashed potatoes in a box. Wow!

Wench!
From: sf (see_reply_address at nospam.com)
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 09:26:23 -0800
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Nancy Young wrote:
> Wench!

Psssst... news flash! You don't have to pay for packaging in a box anymore. It comes in bags now. LOL
From: Damsel in dis Dress
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 13:22:36 -0600
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Nancy Young wrote:
> Wench!

We use those for dire emergencies. If you get Hungry Jack, and you use enough butter, they're not terrible. <G> They're also a good thickening agent.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 00:42:19 -0600
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> We use those for dire emergencies. If you get Hungry Jack, and you
> use enough butter, they're not terrible. <G> They're also a good
> thickening agent.

Yep, I prefer the Hungry Jack for the instant potato flakes. I, too, keep a box around for mashed potato emergencies ;)
From: biig (biig at mnsi.net)
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 11:23:11 -0500
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Nancy Young wrote:
> Gotcha. Thanks for the help! This'll be good for amusement. Always
> wondered what everyone was talking about, scalloped potatoes in a
> box? Does not compute ...

I use Lipton's and they come in a pouch. Very good too....Sharon
From: Damsel in dis Dress
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 15:24:22 -0600
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Nancy Young wrote:
> I should just buy some, I cannot picture how those dishes can come in a
> box. What are they like? Where would you find them in the store?

They're by the boxed mashed potatoes, and usually near the Hamburger Helper and stuff. I *love* Betty's au gratins.

Carol