Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes and Parsnips

Scalloped Potatoes and Parsnips
rec.food.cooking/Pam Jacoby/1998
Serves 4

In the following recipe, scalloped potatoes, often soaked with cream and cheese, are combined with parsnips and cooked with broth and low-fat milk instead. Though lighter, they are still delicious.

1 large red onion
2 tablespoons water
2 parsnips (about 1/2 pound)
2 small russet (baking) potatoes (about 3/4 pound total)
1 1/4 cups low-fat (1%) milk
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
a pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Halve onion lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a large saucepan cook onion in water, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until softened. Remove cover and cook onion until any liquid in saucepan is evaporated. Preheat oven to 425F.

Peel parsnips and potatoes. Grate parsnips coarse and cut potatoes crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. In a 2-cup measure or bowl whisk together milk, broth, and flour until combined well. Add milk mixture to onion with parsnips, potatoes, nutmeg, and salt to taste and simmer, stirring frequently, 1 minute.

Pour vegetable mixture carefully into a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish and bake in lower third of oven 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

You can use margarine or olive oil and low-fat (or no-fat) sour cream in this recipe.