Pumpkin Scalloped Cheesy Potatoes

I love a hot potato dish, don’t you? I have been loving adding pumpkin into more savory dishes this autumn, and this one turned out so delicious that I had to share it with you. When I think of cooking with pumpkin, I immediately picture sweets but this has been really quite fun to eat it for lunch or supper rather than as dessert. In fact, pumpkin and squash were a common meal to eat amongst the American colonists and there are many recipes in antique cookbooks that feature different suppers with this autumnal vegetable.

This recipe features a lovely pumpkin cream sauce that coats and bakes into thinly sliced red potatoes, caramelized onions, smoked ham, with a topping of Emmentaler cheese. It’s perfectly cozy and hearty.

I spent the last weekend antiquing with my mom and daughter in the local Amana Colonies. There are several little antique shops there that offer a large selection of primitive dishes. They are my favorite to hunt for! My mom bought me this gorgeous yellow ware bowl for my birthday, and I absolutely love it. It is just what I have been hunting for! I love the details in the mold on the outside, but I mostly love that it does not feature a cerulean blue band around it. While I have a deep love for blue dishes, there is just something about this bowl being all warm toned that I find just perfect.

Don’t worry - I tested it for lead and it came up completely negative! Hooray!

As you may have noticed, I decided to “layer” my potatoes in an almost zigzag-like pattern. This is not how I suggest baking the dish in the recipe. While this way of layering is quite beautiful and adds a bit more to presentation of the dish, it bakes more evenly if you layer the potatoes flat and pour the pumpkin cream sauce in between the layers. This also helps the dish to thicken and the sauce to become nice and creamy. Layering it this way just means that you need to be more mindful of spreading the onions and ham into the layers of potatoes and make sure the sauce falls into all of the nooks and crannies.

Pumpkin Scalloped Cheesy Potatoes

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Yield: 8

Author: Kayla Lobermeier

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 30 M

Ingredients

• 2 lbs medium red potatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 4 tbsp salted butter, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup emmentaler cheese
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the sliced potatoes with cold water and let sit for about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350° F. With 1 tablespoon of the butter, grease a 9x9-inch pan heavily and set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the remaining butter and cook the onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and bring to a boil, deglazing the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and caramelize the onions and garlic, about 15 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated and become syrupy. Season with the dried sage, nutmeg, and more salt and pepper, if desired.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the cream, milk, and pumpkin. Stir in 1/2 cup each of emmentaler and white cheddar cheese. Spread about 1/3 of this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
5. Drain and thoroughly dry the potato slices with paper towels. Spread them evenly in the baking dish in a single layer. Spread about 1/3 of the caramelized onions over the top, then spread about 1/3 of the diced ham. Spread half of the cream mixture over this. Place another layer of potatoes over this, then more onions, then ham. Finish with a third layer of potatoes, onions, and ham. Spread the remaining cream mixture over the top and top with the remaining cheese.
6. Spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the top of the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours or until the potatoes are fork tender. Uncover the dish and bake for another 45-50 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the cheese is golden brown on top.

I hope that you enjoy this warm and cozy autumnal dish! It makes a wonderful side or even a full meal, if you like eating cheesy potatoes for supper. We enjoyed this with a big salad of greens from the garden, and we were all very satisfied.

xoxo Kayla

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