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At dinners and parties throughout the Midwest, Scalloped Potatoes are always the first thing to disappear. This recipe uses a quick, made-from-scratch cheese sauce that’s layered with plenty of potatoes.
Meggan’s notes
I grew up with Scalloped Potatoes that came from a box, so when I went to culinary school and made them from scratch, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I LOVED this potato side dish.
The homemade cheese sauce is easy to make, full of flavor, and ready in minutes. Layer that with slim potato rounds and extra cheese on top, and there’s plenty to love here.
Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect side for a holiday meal like Christmas or Easter, but they’re easy enough that you can make them during the week, too. And if you have leftover ham, chicken, or turkey, feel free to stir it in.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Potatoes: Starchy russet potatoes are the best choice for scalloped potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes are another good choice as they are a hybrid of starchy and waxy potatoes. Use a mandoline if you have one, but a sharp knife works fine too.
- Cheese: A block of cheddar, shredded, seems to work best. Pre-shredded cheese can contain ingredients that prevent the cheese from melting smoothly. However, if you have a brand of shredded cheese that you rely on, go ahead and use it.
What is a mandoline slicer?
A mandoline slicer can be super helpful to quickly get uniform potato slices for Scalloped Potatoes. In our roundup of the best mandoline slicers, I included the Progressive International Slicer that I’ve used for years as the top pick. It’s stable, can stand on its own, and can even make waffle shapes! I love it, and you can get it on Amazon for $59.89.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Whisk in flour until cooked through, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in milk until smooth. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Stir in 1 cup cheese and season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne if using (I like 1 teaspoon salt , ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne, see note 2). It’s okay if the sauce tastes just a little salty because it will be flavoring 3 pounds of potatoes. You should have about 3 cups of cheese sauce.
- Drain the potatoes well in a colander and blot dry with a clean kitchen towel. Layer half the sliced potatoes in bottom of prepared baking dish.Top with half the cheese sauce (about 1 ½ cups). Layer the second half of potatoes and top with remaining cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese over the top.
- Bake uncovered until heated through and the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 1 hour. Garnish with fresh chives or paprika and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 12 servings of Scalloped Potatoes, ½ cup per serving. Your exact number of servings depends on how you slice it up.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: This recipe can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated (unbaked) up to 1 hour in advance. Bake as directed in the recipe. If you make the recipe further in advance than one hour, you may have a lake of grainy gray or brown liquid in the pan. This isn’t harmful but may look unappetizing. If this happens to you, just drain off the liquid and proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Mix up your mix-ins: For a heartier side dish that verges on main course, layer in thinly sliced ham between the potatoes or crumble cooked bacon over the top of the casserole. Thinly sliced onion, leeks, or sliced garlic cloves can be added to the layers of potatoes for a little extra flavor.
- Garnishes: Garnish your potato dish with fresh thyme, fresh chives, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, paprika, or coarse kosher salt.
- Au Gratin Potatoes: Potatoes au Gratin are a lot like scalloped potatoes but have cheese sprinkled in between each layer of potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you need valuable oven space and have the extra time, this recipe is easy to make in a crock pot or slow cooker. Just prepare the liner of the pot as you would the casserole, then build the dish following the same instructions. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. They don’t get as toasty or crispy on the top, but they’ll still taste fabulous.
To pre-bake the Scalloped Potatoes, bake them according to the recipe, then cool completely to room temperature. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate. Reheat the casserole (covered with foil) at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
Yes, scalloped potatoes freeze well. I suggest partially baking them until the potatoes begin to brown but aren’t fully cooked. Wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap, label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake at 350 degrees until a thermometer reaches 165 degrees in the middle.
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Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes peeled, thinly sliced, and submerged in water (see note 1)
- 4 tablespoons butter (¼ cup or ½ stick)
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (¼ cup)
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste, optional (see note 2)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- fresh chives or paprika, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Whisk in flour until cooked through, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk until smooth. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Stir in 1 cup cheese and season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne if using (I like 1 teaspoon salt , ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne, see note 2). It's okay if the sauce tastes just a little salty because it will be flavoring 3 pounds of potatoes. You should have about 3 cups of cheese sauce.
- Drain the potatoes well in a colander and blot dry with a clean kitchen towel. Layer half the sliced potatoes in bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with half the cheese sauce (about 1 ½ cups). Layer the second half of potatoes and top with remaining cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese over the top. Bake uncovered until heated through and the cheese is melted and browned, about 1 hour. Garnish with fresh chives or paprika and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Potatoes: Starchy russets are the best potatoes for scalloped potatoes. I like to use a mandoline slicer for easy uniform slices, but a sharp knife works fine too. Aim for 1/8-inch slices (not too thick, not too thin). Store the potatoes in water up to 24 hours in advance to prevent oxidation (and to get ahead on prep).
- Cayenne pepper: This adds a a subtle heat and flavor to the sauce and I highly encourage you to add it. Anything more than ¼ tsp. might be too spicy for kids in my opinion. I used ½ teaspoon and loved it.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 12 servings of Scalloped Potatoes, ½ cup per serving. Your exact number of servings depends on how you slice it up.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Slow Cooker: Prepare the liner of the pot as you would the casserole, then build the dish following the same instructions. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. They don’t get as toasty or crispy on the top, but they’ll still taste fabulous.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I followed the recipe to a โtโโฆ
Absolutely the BEST!! I have this recipe saved for years to come! I used the gold potatoes. And to slice them, I used a mandolin slicer and it worked fantastic!
They were so delicious that I made additional batches of them to freeze and enjoy later. Tonight, Iโm going to heat a frozen panโฆ fingers crossed!!
I’m so glad you loved them, Chuck! I hope it turns out perfectly! – Meggan
I made these for dinner tonight but the hour was not long enough, potatoes we still very under done. they were tasty though. May cover for first 30 minutes? Love your recipes.
Thanks, Diana! I’m sorry they didn’t bake in time. I wonder if the oven needed a little more time to preheat, or the potato slices were on the thicker side. Sorry again! – Meggan
I canโt rate the recipe very high I plan on making it tomorrow for dinner next a small spiral ham. It does sound good.
Hi Richard! I would love for you to come back and rate the recipe after you try it tomorrow! Thanks! -Meggan