Deceptively Blonde

This delicious dish combines a vegetable mix (Potatoes, Onions, Green Peppers, and Carrots) with a delicious, and extra cheesy sauce. My family tends to prefer vegetable dishes while I prefer potatoes. 😂 This was a nice medium and was completely gone by the end of the meal. Several people complimented the dish, including my uncles — so it’s a good dish all around!

I’ll make another version later and include a photo — unfortunately, this one was gone before I remembered to grab the picture 🤣

Filling Ingredients

• 3-4 Large Potatoes or 7-8 Small Potatoes (Peeled or Unpeeled to preference)
  • (Yukon Gold is preferred. but Red Potatoes are acceptable)
• 4-5 Medium Carrots (Peeled)

Clean the vegetables. Slice thinly so they will cook through.

Put vegetables in a sauce pan and cover with water. Boil on a stovetop on medium heat about 25 – 28 minutes. You should be able to easily stab them through with a fork. Work on the sauce while you wait.

Use a strainer to dump the water and set aside to cool for handling.

Cheesy Sauce

• 1 Medium Fresh Onion
• 1 Large Green Pepper
• 2-3 TBSP of Butter
• Fresh Garlic or Garlic Power (to taste)
  • My family prefers more garlic so we use 4-5 cloves, but it’s up to you.
• 1/4 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup of Milk
• 1 Cup of Sour Cream
• 1 tsp of Salt
• 1 tsp of Ground Black Pepper
• 16 oz (1 lb) of American Cheese
  • Other cheese varieties are acceptable. But it must melt well and spread (e.g. not mozzarella).
  • Shredded is fine, but not necessary. Just make thin slices.
• Spices to taste
  • Add 1/2 tsp of other spices as desired (Paprika, Chili Pepper, Thyme, etc)

Peel the Onion and Garlic (if using fresh). Slice Onion, Green Pepper, and Garlic thinly and in small pieces. Cook in a skillet with Butter on Medium Heat until cooked and browned.

Add Flour and stir until vegetables are covered (about 3-4 minutes).

Add Milk and Sour Cream. Cook until boiling on the edges, stirred frequently. Should be thickening.

Add Salt, Pepper, Spices, and American Cheese. Cook until cheese is thoroughly melted and the sauce is creamy. Stir frequently to spread the cheese and avoid clumps.

Combine and Bake

• 1/4 Cup of Parmesan (Optional — add as a topping)

Set Oven to 400F.

Oil a 9″x13″ baking dish (or spray with oil / Pam). This keeps the vegetables from sticking.

Include a base layer of potatoes and carrots. Cover with sauce.

Repeat until all vegetables are used — make sure it is completely covered with sauce on top.

If desired, spread the Parmesan on top.

Bake 30 Minutes. If your oven usually requires more time, continue cooking until the top is nicely browned. Just remember to check every 3-4 minutes!

Tags: Au Gratin Potatoes, Cheesy Potatoes, Scalloped Carrots, Scalloped Potatoes, Vegetables with Cheese Sauce