Carnation started printing this scalloped potato recipe on evaporated milk cans in the 1950s, making it America's most duplicated label recipe.
My Scalloped Potatoes
A faster version of the old-fashioned favorite, scalloped potatoes, with a delicious flavor.
Prep
0
min
Cook
55
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This dish is basically France's gratin dauphinois after it emigrated to 1950s American suburbia, got lazy, and swapped double cream for tinned evaporated milk because Carnation's marketing boys convinced every housewife from Ohio to Idaho that condensed dairy was the future—so really you're eating the Eisenhower-era budget cousin of a Lyon farmhouse classic, and nobody's told the French yet.
Regional Twist
Up in Quebec's Saguenay region, cooks ditch the parmesan entirely and stir curd cheese into the sauce instead, nodding to their poutine obsession, while keeping the chicken broth base intact because nobody up there trusts a potato dish without some proper stock backbone.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1 cup chicken broth
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine
- 1 (12 ounce) can Carnation Evaporated Milk
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
📦Other(1)
- 6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
214
Protein
7g
Carbs
30g
Fat
8g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
- 2
Place potatoes and sliced onion in large saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes; drain. Set in ice cold water to stop the cooking; drain.
- 3
Heat butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually stir in evaporated milk and chicken broth.
- 4
Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Arrange potatoes in prepared baking dish; pour milk mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese.
- 5
Bake for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden brown.
- 6
Note: For a twist on the traditional, spice up your Scalloped Potatoes with these tips. Add chopped ham. Or, add 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese to the milk mixture after it is removed from the heat and top the dish with additional shredded cheddar cheese in place of Parmesan cheese.
- 7
No fat Carnation milk works.
- 8
Slicing your potatoes in your processor is another time saver.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blanch potato slices for exactly 3-4 minutes then shock in ice water to partially gelatinize the outer starch layer, which prevents them from turning to mush during the 50-minute bake while maintaining structural integrity.timing3-4 minutes blanch + ice bath
- ✓Make a proper beurre manié by cooking the flour in butter for 1-2 minutes before adding milk to gelatinize the starch and eliminate raw flour taste, creating a silky sauce with better emulsion stability.technique1-2 minutes roux cook time
- ✓Use the 1:1 ratio of evaporated milk to chicken broth (12 oz:1 cup) because evaporated milk's 60% milk solids provide richness and protein for sauce adhesion, while broth adds salt and prevents curdling from pure cream.ingredient1:1 evaporated milk to broth ratio
- ✓Bake uncovered at 350°F for exactly 50 minutes—this allows the Maillard reaction on the cheese top (starting around 320°F) while the internal temperature reaches 190-200°F, fully softening cell walls in the potato starch structure.timing350°F, 50 minutes uncovered
- ✓Slice potatoes to 1/8-inch thickness (not 1/4-inch) using a mandoline or processor to reduce cooking time by 15 minutes and ensure even starch absorption of the sauce, maintaining creamy consistency throughout.equipment1/8-inch thickness
Share this recipe
Prep
0
min
Cook
55
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Carnation started printing this scalloped potato recipe on evaporated milk cans in the 1950s, making it America's most duplicated label recipe.
My Scalloped Potatoes
A faster version of the old-fashioned favorite, scalloped potatoes, with a delicious flavor.
The Story
This dish is basically France's gratin dauphinois after it emigrated to 1950s American suburbia, got lazy, and swapped double cream for tinned evaporated milk because Carnation's marketing boys convinced every housewife from Ohio to Idaho that condensed dairy was the future—so really you're eating the Eisenhower-era budget cousin of a Lyon farmhouse classic, and nobody's told the French yet.
Regional Twist
Up in Quebec's Saguenay region, cooks ditch the parmesan entirely and stir curd cheese into the sauce instead, nodding to their poutine obsession, while keeping the chicken broth base intact because nobody up there trusts a potato dish without some proper stock backbone.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1 cup chicken broth
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine
- 1 (12 ounce) can Carnation Evaporated Milk
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
📦Other(1)
- 6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
214
Protein
7g
Carbs
30g
Fat
8g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
- 2
Place potatoes and sliced onion in large saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes; drain. Set in ice cold water to stop the cooking; drain.
- 3
Heat butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually stir in evaporated milk and chicken broth.
- 4
Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Arrange potatoes in prepared baking dish; pour milk mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese.
- 5
Bake for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden brown.
- 6
Note: For a twist on the traditional, spice up your Scalloped Potatoes with these tips. Add chopped ham. Or, add 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese to the milk mixture after it is removed from the heat and top the dish with additional shredded cheddar cheese in place of Parmesan cheese.
- 7
No fat Carnation milk works.
- 8
Slicing your potatoes in your processor is another time saver.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blanch potato slices for exactly 3-4 minutes then shock in ice water to partially gelatinize the outer starch layer, which prevents them from turning to mush during the 50-minute bake while maintaining structural integrity.timing3-4 minutes blanch + ice bath
- ✓Make a proper beurre manié by cooking the flour in butter for 1-2 minutes before adding milk to gelatinize the starch and eliminate raw flour taste, creating a silky sauce with better emulsion stability.technique1-2 minutes roux cook time
- ✓Use the 1:1 ratio of evaporated milk to chicken broth (12 oz:1 cup) because evaporated milk's 60% milk solids provide richness and protein for sauce adhesion, while broth adds salt and prevents curdling from pure cream.ingredient1:1 evaporated milk to broth ratio
- ✓Bake uncovered at 350°F for exactly 50 minutes—this allows the Maillard reaction on the cheese top (starting around 320°F) while the internal temperature reaches 190-200°F, fully softening cell walls in the potato starch structure.timing350°F, 50 minutes uncovered
- ✓Slice potatoes to 1/8-inch thickness (not 1/4-inch) using a mandoline or processor to reduce cooking time by 15 minutes and ensure even starch absorption of the sauce, maintaining creamy consistency throughout.equipment1/8-inch thickness