The last few minutes of preparing a big meal are important. I was running around, pulling things out of the oven, filling up water glasses, and searching for the right serving spoons for each dish. All of a sudden, I have Joe the Chef quietly giving me a chemistry lesson in my ear. My first thought was, I do not have time for small talk, quickly followed by, why is Joe trying to teach me chemistry at Easter? Then I glanced over at the huge casserole dish of scalloped potatoes on the kitchen counter. The potatoes were black. There was not enough sour cream or white cheese in a 20-mile radius to disguise them.
If you like chemistry, you will appreciate the reasons for my disastrous scalloped potatoes. After a considerable amount of research I learned that there was probably an enzymatic reaction, which means the potatoes contained an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase that reacted with oxygen to form black pigment. Oxidation is when potatoes are cut or cooked, their cells are damaged, releasing enzymes and allowing oxygen to reach with the starches and sugars, causing the potato to turn black. Or it could be that potatoes contained phytochemicals like chlorogenic acid, which can react with oxygen to form melanin, leading to the black color. If you do not like chemistry, it is safe to say that I left the potatoes out too long before baking them.
At this point, everyone in attendance at my family Easter dinner became a self-proclaimed food expert/chemist on how to avoid this happening again. When the shouting subsided, the consensus was that placing the potatoes in cold water before layering them in the casserole dish would have prevented them from turning dark. That is what I love about cooking; you learn something new every day. I was so excited about my new-found knowledge that I shared it with my neighbor friend, Melissa, across the street. Unfortunately, this tip has been around for a long time, and I did not impress her as much as I thought I would. The good news is she went home and immediately sent me her favorite scalloped potato recipe from her grandmother. I have not tried the recipe yet, but I plan on preparing it soon.
Grandma’s Scalloped Potatoes
2 lb. potatoes
2 boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese (you will use powder cheese only)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Butter
Milk
Directions:
- Fill a big bowl or container with water. Wash potatoes. Slice the potatoes and place them in water.
- Use a 9”x13” glass dish if possible.
- Put five ½ teaspoons of butter in baking dish. Place in each corner and in middle.
- Drain a small selection of potatoes and start layering potatoes on top of butter. Continue to drain potatoes and cover the entire bottom of dish.
- Sprinkle powdered cheese over potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Add about 6 more teaspoons of butter to the first layer of potatoes.
- Place another layer of drained potatoes in dish and sprinkle powdered cheese on top.
- Continue layering until the casserole dish is full or you run out of potatoes.
- The top layer will have five half teaspoons of butter. After you finish layering the potatoes, pour milk on one of the corners of the dish and pour it until the dish looks half full. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours until potatoes are nice and soft. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the top is brown. Enjoy!
Tip: If you use a transparent glass baking dish, it will be easy to see when it is half full of milk.
Recipe: Any Berry Sauce
Makes 2 ¼ cups
Calories: 60 per ¼ cup
Ingredients:
¼ cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup of sugar
4 cups of berries, fresh or frozen (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries or a mixture)
Directions:
Serve over pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or yogurt.
- In a medium saucepan, mix together sugar, cornstarch, water, and 2 cups of berries. Mash berries if desired.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and stir in remaining berries. Mash if desired.
Interested in free nutrition education classes with OSU Extension EFNEP? Contact Nancy Lyons at lyons.489@osu.edu or 937-205-5250.
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