Let’s face it: Everyone eats too many potatoes. I do. You probably do. But life is short, eat potatoes…Enjoy them with butter, cream and cheese. If you somehow feel anxious about the amount of potatoes you eat, then simply eat some more. Make Hatch Chile Potatoes with Pepper Jack. You will soon forget your troubles.
Hatch Chiles add Loads of Flavor
One of the twists that I recommend for Hatch Chiles with Scalloped Potatoes with Pepper Jack is to vary the size of potatoes that you use in the dish. Buy a mixture of small baby potatoes, medium sized red potatoes, larger russets, or fingerling potatoes. Slice the large ones, leave the small potatoes whole (1″/2.5cm in diamter max.) Mix them up. With the long baking time, the variable sizes of potatoes should be okay – large slices and whole baby potatoes will all cook thoroughly. But the different textures added to this old standby recipe keep it interesting.
Whether you use Hatch chiles or Pobalno chiles, it really doesn’t matter. I don’t recommend bell peppers, as those are too watery and mild for this recipe. Hotter chiles like jalapeños may clash with the spicy pepper jack, and make the spice level overwhelming. But this is where you can get creative with this dish, and design the level of spice that you like. Add more. Or not.
More Potatoes Please!
Try to use a ceramic baking dish for making your Hatch Chile Scalloped Potatoes with Pepper Jack. I have not had good results with thin metal pans. However, one time I arranged my scalloped potato mixture in a large heavy skillet, and baked that with wonderful results. But really, the best dish is a ceramic baker. Glass is okay too.
This is one of my favorite recipes for cheesy scalloped potatoes, with loads of spicy Pepper Jack cheese, and a couple of hatch chiles thrown in for good measure. We eat them hot, we eat them cold, but ultimately, we don’t eat them enough. In fact, I am thinking about making a batch now.
Hatch Chile Scalloped Potatoes with Pepper Jack
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
2 whole hatch chiles (or 4oz canned/113g, drained)
2 lbs. potatoes (1kg)
4 tbsp. butter (60g)
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour (16g)
2 cups whole milk (500ml)
8 oz. pepper jack cheese, grated (250g)
Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Roast the chiles over an open flame or under a heated broiler in your oven (Follow instructions here.) Wrap in a towel to sweat for 10-15 minutes, and then peel away charred skin. Rinse, remove stem and seeds, and chop. Set aside. (Skip this step if using canned chiles)
Prepare the potatoes by washing and slicing. Place the potatoes in a 3qt (3lt) baking dish. Heat your oven to 400°F (204°C).
Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a 3 qt. (3lt) saucepan. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring out all the lumps until smooth. Stir in the milk and continue to heat and stir over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the cheese and the prepared hatch chiles. Stir until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is thick, about 3-4 minutes. Season with cracked black pepper.
Pour the cheese sauce mixture over the potatoes, and bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure the potatoes are tender. If not, allow to bake for 10 more minutes.
Oh, how I want a big o’l serving of those potatoes along side a nice Texas T-bone steak. Definitely on my list to make!
I am definitely making them again. Delicious stuff! Best, MG
Looks so yummy! Going to give them a try 🙂
Thanks Leigh! Long time no hug! Best to you and your family!! xoxo