This Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe is creamy, just like grandma used to make with a luscious creamy sauce and fork-tender potatoes.
Pair this delicious scalloped potato recipe with a delicious steak, meatloaf or grilled pork chops for an unforgettable dinner.
If you’re looking for the best side dish to pair with any holiday, like Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, these cheesy potatoes are where it’s at!
What Is The Difference Between Au Gratin And Scalloped Potatoes?
It seems that over the years, the Scalloped Potato and Au Gratin Potato dish have become almost identical in nature with just a few slight variances.
- Scalloped Potatoes is a thinly sliced potato, primarily cooked in a cream sauce, sometimes contains cheese and is always topped with a bread crumb topping.
- Au Gratin Potatoes is a thinly sliced potato, sometimes cooked in a cream sauce, always contains cheese and sometimes has a bread crumb topping.
Since my recipe contains thinly sliced potatoes, a cream sauce (made lighter by using milk instead of cream), cheese (hello!) but does not have a bread crumb topping, I’m declaring this recipe to be Scalloped in nature.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Layers of thinly sliced potatoes, cheese and a creamy sauce filled with garlic and thyme are baked until bubbly and then broiled for a nice crispy top.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need to make these scalloped potatoes. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.
- Potatoes – Yukon gold potatoes are perfect because you don’t have to peel them!
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Milk
- Chicken Broth
- All Purpose Flour
- Cheese – both cheddar and parmesan
- Herbs
How To Make Scalloped Potatoes
Don’t be intimidated by the thought of making homemade scalloped potatoes. It’s actually quite easy and the results will impress you.
SLICE POTATOES
Start by thinly slicing your potatoes. I love to use my Mandoline Slicer for an even slice, plus it takes a fraction of the time slicing by hand takes.
MAKE ROUX / SAUCE
Melt some butter in a skillet and sauté the onions and garlic until tender and fragrant.
Whisk in some flour to form a roux, then whisk in milk and chicken broth. Season with fresh thyme, salt and pepper.
LAYER POTATOES
Place a layer sliced potatoes in a greased 9×13″ casserole dish and cover with half of the white creamy sauce and half of the shredded cheeses. Make sure to season generously with salt, pepper and herbs.
Repeat the process of adding another layer of potatoes, sauce and cheese then cover the pan tightly with foil and bake.
What Type of Potato for Scalloped Potatoes?
You could easily use a baking potato for this recipe, but my all time favorite are the Yukon Golds.
- The skins on the Yukon Gold potatoes are so thin, that there is no need for peeling, meaning we can skip that arduous task and go right to slicing.
- Gold potatoes also have a creamy, soft texture to them, making them perfect for baking in the cream mixture.
Scalloped Potato Tips and FAQ:
Can I Slice Potatoes The Day Before?
You can definitely slice the potatoes a day ahead of time, but you’ll want to place the sliced potatoes in a bag or container and cover with cold water to prevent too much browning. I would only do this up to the day before.
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?
YES! Simply bake the Scalloped Potatoes as directed in the recipe below, let cool completely, cover with foil and refrigerate up to 3 days.
How Long Does It Take To Reheat Scalloped Potatoes?
To reheat, place in a 350 degree F oven, covered, for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Can I Use Different Cheeses?
You betcha! I love the flavor of sharp cheddar and parmesan cheese, but you can use flavorful, melty cheeses like mozzarella, gouda, fontina or gruyere.
Can I Use Different Seasonings?
Of course! I love the fresh flavor of thyme, but a parsley, cilantro or even rosemary would work great in these potatoes. If you’re not into the green herbs, feel free to leave it out!
Can I Freeze Scalloped Potatoes?
Unfortunately, no. I do not think this recipe would work well being frozen. The cream sauce and potatoes would not have the best texture once baked after frozen.
What To Serve With Scalloped Potatoes?
You really can’t go wrong with these cheesy potatoes! Serve them with any of these delicious main dishes for a comfort meal that’ll blow you away.
- Garlic Mushroom Steaks
- Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
- Classic Meatloaf
- Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
- Last Minute Chicken Recipe
More Easy Potato Recipes:
Looking for more recipe inspiration for those taters? Here are some more delicious favorites-
- Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes – cheesy goodness that’s ready in a flash!
- How To Bake the PERFECT Potato – crispy skins and fluffy insides!
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes – creamy goodness that’s ready in minutes!
- Parmesan Roasted Potatoes – crispy outsides and creamy insides, with a parmesan coating!
I know you’re going to love this Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe!
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Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and sliced about 1/4″ thick
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk, 2% preferred
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9″ x 13″ with non-stick spray and add half of the sliced potatoes, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour until thick, then gradually whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Keep whisking until mixture is smooth and creamy. Season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme.
- Top the sliced potatoes with half of the cream mixture, then top with half of the sharp cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers with more potatoes, the rest of the cream mixture and the rest of the shredded cheeses.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 25 minutes. Turn the top broiler on for the last 3 to 5 minutes to brown the top if desired.
- Let the potatoes sit for at least 5 minutes to let the sauce thicken up before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE:
Classic Pecan Pie Recipe
Amanda
Not very cheesy and took twice as long to cook than what the recipe said
Shawn
You can always add more cheese to fulfill your needs. As for it taking twice as long to bake, could it be the thickness of your potatoes? If they are really thick that can take longer to cook.
Diana Rodgers
Can this be done in the Crockpot? Thanks
Dee Blackburn
Love this recipe! The only thing I would do differently is use less salt the next time.
Joanne Buie
Made these tonight and had it with ham and cauliflower steaks
So yummy, tasty and easy to make.
Will definitely make them again.
Thank you
Diann
These were absolutely delicious & turned out perfect! Went great with prime rib roast. A definite do over & over & over again!
Kelly E
I made this and followed the directions to the letter. It tasted great, but the cheese really separated and looked clumpy and there was a lot of oil on top. Did I do something wrong or is that the way it’s supposed to look?
Shawn
It should not look lumpy and oily. Sounds like maybe too much cheese was used? This is where the excess oil would probably come from. Did you remember to uncover and bake for the last 25 minutes?
Marissa
If I cut this recipe in half should I adjust the cook time?
Shawn
You probably would need to reduce the cook time a bit, but I would just cook until it’s bubbly in the center and the potatoes are nice and tender.
Melissa Kitzman
Hi! I’m planning on making this paired with your delicious beef tenderloin. Curious to see which one I should cook first? The potatoes or tenderloin.
Thanks!
Melissa
Shawn
I would definitely start the potatoes first, and you can finish the tenderloin in the oven with the potatoes (I know it’s not the same temperature, but they’re pretty close so it should work in this instance). Enjoy!
Melissa Kitzman
Thank you Shawn! I’ll cook at 400 degrees then right?
Thanks so much!
Melissa
Cassie
Can you Throw it all together the night before and bake the next morning or do you recommend baking and reheating if necessary ?
Shawn
Yes, you can premake it and then bake the following day. Should be good!
Jami Olson
My boyfriend loves scalloped potatoes and ham..would this work and just add the ham to it? I also add mushrooms to one side (for myself of course!).
Shawn
Yes, you can definitely add in some sliced ham!
Avigayle
Oh my goodness, I’m so excited to make this for my family this thanksgiving!
Florence Ortiz
Tummy and yummy
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it!
RITA KINDLEY
Can us use dried thyme in place of the fresh?
Shawn
Yes, just use 1 tsp of dried.
Ann
I made this recipe for Easter dinner and the potatoes were the hit of the meal. I made the sauce in advance and assembled before baking to be ready for the meal.
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it Ann! Great idea on preparing the sauce ahead for a quicker way to get them in the oven!
Callan
I absolutely loved them I would try using celery seed instead of thyme I think next time as well. But very yummy never the less
Shawn
Great idea on the celery seed! Sounds like a great addition!
Maggimae2367
Actually the difference between scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes is au gratin potatoes have cheese and scalloped do not.
Virginia
Can I use russet potatoes?
Shawn
Definitely!
Erin
This potato recipe came out perfect. I cooked the potatoes first, then made the meatloaf recipe, so they sat for about an hour and were still hot. Delicious!
Shawn
Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed them!
Barbara
Amazing! Family loved them… and all the potatoes were cooked perfectly- which is sometimes hard to achieve with other recipes. I would recommend letting sit for slightly longer then 5 minutes- I found closer to 10 minutes was perfect to properly set them (and still remain quite hot). Will make again!
Shawn
I’m so glad your family enjoyed them!
Rena
I will have to try these potatoes!!
Shawn
I highly recommend it. Enjoy!