Scalloped Potatoes

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect side dish for the holidays or potlucks. They’re made with delicious layers of potatoes, cream and cheddar cheese.

Serve these creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Perfect Easy Ribeye Steak, Oven Baked Pork Chops, Ultimate Garlic Pork Loin Roast, or with and of your favorite Holiday Recipes along side your Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey. 

SCALLOPED POTATOES

Scalloped Potatoes are a potato casserole dish the perfect easy recipe to serve alongside the main course and your classic Green Bean Casserole you know you HAVE to make. Especially when the holidays come around. We know the secret to a great meal is in the side dishes you serve, and potatoes go well with pretty much anything.

We’ve served these for both Christmas and Easter Dinner every year for as long as I can remember because they’re always a HUGE hit. Plus my youngest loves helping me layer the potato slices in the dish, making cooking a family activity.

Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect crispy, creamy side dish and comfort food to serve alongside the main course, especially when the holidays come around. Simple Scalloped Potatoes add a tough of class and don’t take all day to put together, which is a real plus when you’re cooking for the holidays. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCALLOPED POTATOES AND AU GRATIN POTATOES?

Potatoes Au Gratin are more indulgent and use thinner sliced potatoes arranged in a shallow baking dish. It usually has a cheese sauce made from gruyere or cheddar, nutmeg, and cream, similar tasting to a bechamel sauce.

Scalloped potatoes recipe traditionally don’t require any cheese and are more simple to make, but you can add cheese if you’re in the mood for cheesy scalloped potatoes.

If we’re getting technical, Scalloped Potatoes don’t have cheese. Traditionally, Scalloped Potatoes are made with flour, butter and whole milk, also known as a roux, and are slowly baked to make them crisp. While that does sound amazing, everything is better with cheese.

In my quick and easy Scalloped Potatoes recipe I add just a little bit of cheddar cheese on top for flavor and color, because it makes the potatoes even richer and more flavorful. Other similar potato recipes use a thick cheese sauce poured over the top.

VARIATIONS ON SCALLOPED POTATOES

• Spices: Play with your favorite flavors to make it your own. Want to add some spice, a bit of cayenne goes a long way. Want a warmer flavor? Add a bit of nutmeg. 
• Cheese: The best Scalloped Potatoes are cheesy Scalloped Potatoes. sharp cheddar, gruyere. parmesan cheese cheddar cheese mozzarella cheese. 
• Baked Potato Toppings: These classic flavors like bacon, chives, sour cream, coarse ground black pepper will match the flavors in this recipe.
• Vegetables: You can also sneak some veggies in this side dish. Try diced cauliflower, thinly sliced garlic or really thin cut peeled zucchini between the potato slices.

Fun Variation! Scalloped Sweet Potato Casserole

Try making another version of this recipe with sweet potatoes. Slice them thinly and layer, then add cinnamon and brown sugar to the saucepan before pouring it over the potatoes. Once it’s out of the oven, top with mini marshmallows. It’s like a scalloped Sweet Potato Casserole!

MORE DELICIOUS POTATO RECIPES:

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Ultimate Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Easy Mashed Potatoes

HOW TO MAKE SCALLOPED POTATOES:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Lay the potatoes one on top of each other in rows with half the salt and the minced onions.
  In a pot, add the butter on medium heat until melted, then add the flour, pepper, and remaining salt, whisking well for 30-45 seconds.
• Add in the milk and heavy cream slowly while whisking until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the cream sauce over the potatoes and cook covered in the oven for 45 minutes.
• Spread shredded cheddar over the potatoes and cook uncovered in the oven for an additional 25 minutes.

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SCALLOPED POTATOES FAQS

• How thin should Scalloped Potatoes be? About 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Use a mandoline slicer to get consistently thin pieces.
• What kind of potatoes are used for Scalloped Potatoes? The best potatoes for scalloped potatoes are russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. 
• What’s the difference between Scalloped Potatoes and au gratin potatoes? Traditionally, Potatoes Au Gratin have cheese and Scalloped Potatoes don’t. 
• Why are my Scalloped Potatoes still hard? The potatoes are too hard because they’ve been sliced too thick. Keep them thin and they’ll get nice and soft. 
• Can you freeze Scalloped Potatoes before baking? Yes. Make sure to keep the dish tightly wrapped to keep moisture out and you can bake the potatoes when you’re good and ready.

EVEN MORE HOLIDAY SIDES:

Candied Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Candied Yams

TIPS FOR MAKING SCALLOPED POTATOES

• I love serving this on the holidays, especially on Christmas or for Easter dinner, because the pattern looks really decorative on the table.
• Sprinkle the top with a little bit of cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes to add a really nice golden brown color on top.
• It might take a few minutes of whisking to get your sauce to thicken. After you add milk to the flour and butter, bring your sauce to a boil then lower it to a simmer to prevent burning.
• When adding the flour to the melted butter, whisk until the flour has browned and smells slightly nutty, then add the milk. This gives the creamy sauce a really nice rich flavor. Whisk continuously so the milk doesn’t curdle.
• You can make this dish gluten free by using cup for cup gluten free all purpose flour in place of the regular flour.
• Mince your onions in the food processor to cut down on time.
• If you don’t want to use cream, you can use half and half to help lighten up the recipe and save calories.

HOW LONG ARE SCALLOPED POTATOES GOOD?

• Serve: Scalloped Potatoes can be kept at room temperature for up to two hours, but no longer than that.
• Store: Cooked Scalloped Potatoes will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator. You should always let them cool down to room temperature before you put them in an airtight container and put them away. To reheat them, take the plastic wrap off of the baking sheet and put the whole pan in the oven for a few minutes until it’s heated through or plate them up and put them in the microwave. 
• Freeze: Cooked Scalloped Potatoes will stay good in the freezer for up to 6 months, but be aware that your creamy sauce will more than likely separate upon reheating.

5 from 13 votes

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Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes made are the perfect side dish for the holidays or to bring to a potluck!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American with French influence

Keyword scalloped potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 272 kcal

Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

• 4 russet potatoes sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 yellow onion minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Lay the potatoes one on top of each other in rows with half the salt and the minced onions.

3. In a pot, add the butter on medium heat until melted, then add the flour, pepper, and remaining salt, whisking well for 30-45 seconds.

4. Add in the milk and heavy cream slowly while whisking until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the cream sauce over the potatoes and cook covered in the oven for 45 minutes.

6. Spread shredded cheddar over the potatoes and cook uncovered in the oven for an additional 25 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

Nutrition Facts

Scalloped Potatoes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 272 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 58mg19%

Sodium 370mg16%

Potassium 516mg15%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 660IU13%

Vitamin C 6.8mg8%

Calcium 71mg7%

Iron 1.1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.