Scalloped Potatoes are thin slices of potato layered with a creamy milk sauce, baked under foil until they’re soft all the way through, then finished with cheddar until the top goes golden and bubbly. This is the side dish that disappears before the turkey does.
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Cheddar
For those of you who came straight here from Pinterest and are already scrolling past me, hi, go ahead, I’ve put the one thing you actually need in the recipe notes.
Everybody else: these are the scalloped potatoes you remember from somebody’s holiday table. Thin potatoes, creamy sauce, cheese on top, and that slightly browned corner piece that people quietly fight over.
I’ve been making some version of these since my first house. I bought it at 26, straight from my parents’ place, a 980 square foot raised ranch with what I still believe was the smallest kitchen ever built. Two people couldn’t pass each other in it. You’d open the oven door and that was the room, done, no more floor space available for anything else.
I made a lot of holiday dinners in that kitchen anyway, because that’s what you do when you’re 26 and you have your own house and you want everyone to come see it.
They’re back on the table this week because it’s Thanksgiving weekend, and scalloped potatoes belong on a Thanksgiving table the way gravy belongs in a boat.
The potatoes don’t need a big kitchen. One dish, one saucepan, and an oven you don’t open for 45 minutes.
The Secret Is Slicing Them Thin and Even
Here’s the one thing: ⅛ inch thick, and all of them the same.
That’s it. That’s the difference between scalloped potatoes and a dish where some slices turned to mush and others are still crunchy and nobody can tell which they’re about to bite into.
A mandoline does this in about 4 minutes and does it perfectly. If you’ve got one, use it. Use the guard. One of my employees didn’t use the guard and ended up at urgent care getting stitches, so this is not me being overly cautious at you, this is me having seen it.
No mandoline? A sharp knife works, you just have to pay attention. Cut the potato in half lengthwise first so it sits flat and doesn’t roll away from you.
The other half of this is the foil. Covered for the first 45 minutes, uncovered for the last 25 to 30. The foil traps steam and that steam is what actually cooks the potatoes through. Leave it off the whole time and the top browns beautifully while the potatoes underneath stay raw.
Ingredients in Scalloped Potatoes
- Yukon Gold potatoes (3 pounds, peeled and thinly sliced): Yukon Golds are my pick. They’re a little waxy, so they hold their shape in slices, and they’re naturally buttery. Russets work too and go softer and fluffier, which some people prefer. Either way, peel them and slice ⅛ inch thick.
- Butter (4 tablespoons): For the sauce. Salted or unsalted, just adjust your salt at the end if you use salted.
- Onion (1 small, finely diced) and garlic (3 cloves, minced): The onion softens in the butter first, then the garlic goes in for 1 minute. Dice the onion small so it melts into the sauce instead of sitting in it. If you want these milder, drop the garlic to 2 cloves.
- All purpose flour (¼ cup): Whisked into the butter for a minute or 2 until it stops smelling like raw flour. This is what turns milk into sauce.
- Whole milk (3 cups, warmed): Warm it first. Cold milk hitting a hot roux is how you get lumps, and then you’re standing there whisking and feeling betrayed. Two percent works but the sauce is thinner. Half and half or light cream if you want this richer.
- Salt (1 teaspoon) and black pepper (½ teaspoon): Season the sauce, not the potatoes. Potatoes absorb a lot, so be generous here.
- Dried thyme (½ teaspoon): Thyme and potatoes have been together forever. Fresh works too, use about 1½ teaspoons.
- Ground nutmeg (¼ teaspoon): This is the one nobody can identify and everybody notices. A quarter teaspoon, no more. Too much nutmeg tastes like eggnog and this is not eggnog.
- Cheddar cheese (1½ cups, shredded): Sharp or medium. Goes on top at the end, not layered in, so it browns instead of disappearing. Gruyère is lovely here if you’re feeling fancy, and a mix of both is the best of all worlds. Grate it from a block. Pre shredded cheese is coated with stuff that keeps it from clumping in the bag, and that same stuff keeps it from melting right.
- Fresh parsley (2 tablespoons, chopped): On after the rest. Dried doesn’t work here, it’s for the color and the fresh bite.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
Heat the oven and prep the dish: Set your oven to 375°F and grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Butter, cooking spray, whatever you’ve got.
Slice the potatoes: Peel them and slice ⅛ inch thick. Even slices are the whole game here, so take your time or use a mandoline with the guard on.
Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook 3 to 4 minutes until it’s softened, then stir in the garlic for 1 minute more.
Add the flour and milk: Sprinkle in the flour and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes until it loses that raw smell. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and keep whisking for 3 to 4 minutes, until it thickens into a smooth sauce. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg.
Layer it up: Put half the potato slices in the baking dish, overlapping them like shingles. Pour over half the sauce. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes and the rest of the sauce.
Bake covered: Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Tightly. A loose corner lets the steam escape and the steam is the entire point.
Add the cheese and finish: Take the foil off, scatter the cheddar over the top, and bake uncovered another 25 to 30 minutes, until a fork slides into the potatoes easily and the top is golden and bubbling.
Rest and serve: Let it sit 10 minutes before you touch it. The sauce needs that time to set, otherwise it runs all over the plate when you scoop. Sprinkle the parsley over the top and serve.
Tips
- Slice evenly. I’ll say it as many times as it takes.
- Warm the milk. It takes 90 seconds in the microwave and saves you a lumpy sauce.
- Cover tightly for the first 45 minutes. Crimp the foil down around the edges.
- Season the sauce well. Potatoes are hungry for salt and under seasoned scalloped potatoes taste like wallpaper paste with ambition.
- Let it rest 10 minutes. Everyone wants to serve it the second it comes out and everyone regrets it.
Substitutions and Variations
- Russets instead of Yukon Golds for a softer, fluffier result.
- Gruyère in place of cheddar, or half and half, for something more grown up tasting.
- Half and half or light cream instead of milk if you want this richer.
- I haven’t tested these myself, so treat them as suggestions rather than part of the recipe, but chopped ham or crispy bacon layered in with the potatoes would turn this into a main, and a handful of grated Parmesan mixed into the cheddar on top would give you a sharper crust.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can assemble the whole thing up to a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate unbaked, then add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time since it’s going in cold.
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. They reheat beautifully, which is not true of most potato dishes.
Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, or microwave individual portions for 2 minutes.
I don’t recommend freezing. The sauce separates and the potatoes go grainy, and you’ll be disappointed in a way that feels personal.
What to Serve With Scalloped Potatoes
Ham. That’s the classic for a reason and I won’t be talked out of it.
Roast turkey or roast chicken, which is why these show up on so many holiday tables.
A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, or roasted green beans, because something on that plate needs to not be beige.
Try These Recipes Next
- Stuffed Peppers
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Mashed Potatoes
- Chicken Fajita Rice Casserole
- Sausage Potato Soup
Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, or Russets, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
- Peel the 3 pounds potatoes and slice them about ⅛ inch thick. A mandoline makes quick work of this and keeps the slices even, which is what lets them all cook at the same rate.
- Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened, then stir in the 3 cloves minced garlic for 1 minute more.
- Sprinkle in the ¼ cup flour and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes, until it loses its raw smell. Slowly whisk in the 3 cups warm milk and cook, whisking, for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened into a smooth sauce. Stir in the 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon thyme, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
- Layer half the potato slices in the baking dish, overlapping them. Pour over half the sauce, then repeat with the remaining potatoes and sauce.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. The foil traps steam so the potatoes cook through, which is the step that keeps them from staying firm.
- Remove the foil, scatter the 1½ cups cheddar over the top, and bake uncovered for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and the top is golden and bubbly.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons parsley before serving. That rest lets the sauce set so it does not run everywhere.
Recipe Notes
- Slice evenly. Aim for ⅛ inch thick and keep the slices consistent so they all cook at the same rate. A mandoline is the easiest way, with the guard on.
- Warm the milk. Cold milk added to a hot roux causes lumps. Warm it before it goes in and add it slowly while whisking.
- Cover tightly. Crimp the foil down around the edges for the first 45 minutes. The trapped steam is what cooks the potatoes through.
- Cheese on top, not layered in. Adding the cheddar at the end means it browns and bubbles instead of disappearing into the sauce.
- Season the sauce well. Potatoes absorb a lot of salt. Taste the sauce before it goes over the potatoes.
- Rest 10 minutes. The sauce needs that time to set, or it runs when you serve.
- Make ahead. Assemble up to a day ahead, cover, and refrigerate unbaked. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time.
- Storage. Airtight in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Freezing isn’t recommended, the sauce separates.
Nutrition Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Assemble, cover, refrigerate up to a day. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake.
Either the slices were too thick or the foil wasn’t tight. Both come down to steam, and the potatoes need it to cook through.
Scalloped potatoes are baked in a milk or cream sauce. Au gratin has cheese layered throughout and usually a breadcrumb topping. These sit in the middle, with the cheese on top only.
You can, though it’s very rich. Half and half is a nice middle ground.
Usually the milk went in too fast or too cold. Warm it first and add it slowly while whisking.
For classic scalloped potatoes, yes. You can leave the skins on if you like a more rustic look, just scrub them well.
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