Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes are a classic dish with layers of potatoes and rich creamy cheese sauce on repeat! The ingredients are simple in these Scalloped Potatoes recipe but they are the perfect from scratch side dish to Easter, Christmas dinner, or Thanksgiving!
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CHEESY SCALLOPED POTATOES
Being the owner of this food blog since 2008, I’ve found that around Thanksgiving and Christmas I’m on call for everyone – friends, bloggers, family, neighbors for recipe questions that might arise.
Not even necessarily about recipes on my blog, just cooking in general. I absolutely don’t mind at all. I love to help when I can. But my phone is literally blowing up with texts and emails.
That’s not even counting all of the comments on my blog. I respond to every single question in the comments on my blog and sometimes that can be up to 100 a day. Phew.
I have other blogger friends that tell me that they always tackle comments in the morning when they’re fresh and ready for the day. Not me.
We all know by now that mornings don’t like me and vice versa. My husband and I don’t talk until at least 10AM to keep things tranquil. He’s not a morning person either. We’re quite the combo.
So you could imagine what kind of response I would write to the person asking me if they can replace the cup of sugar in the cookies with a cup of salt if I responded in the morning.
No bueno. I decided a long time ago that nighttime is the best time. I’m a lot nicer.
This potato recipe with cheese, ask me whatever you want about it. They’re fabulous by the way. And that’s coming from someone who loves her mashed potatoes.
The most important thing in this scalloped potato recipe is to make sure you slice potatoes thin. No one wants to bite into a thick potato. Do they? I sure don’t.
SCALLOPED POTATOES INGREDIENTS
The ingredients in scalloped potatoes are very simple and traditional.
- Potatoes – Yukon Gold potatoes or Russet potatoes are best for this dish.
- Butter, flour, and milk – For your roux, these ingredients make the base of a cream sauce. If you really want it rich use heavy cream instead of milk.
- Salt and Pepper – are essential to flavor this dish.
- Cheddar cheese – I like a sharp cheddar cheese because it gives the dish a lot of flavor. You could definitely use any shredded cheese you like.
- Paprika – mostly use for color but adds a little flavor.
WHAT ARE THE BEST POTATOES FOR SCALLOPED POTATOES?
I prefer Yukon gold or Russet potatoes for this dish. Yukon potatoes tend to hold their shape better and don’t need to be peeled but Russets work well too.
HOW TO SLICE POTATOES
Slicing potatoes is the most time consuming part of making scalloped potatoes. While you can cut them evenly with a knife, you can save a ton of time and effort by using a mandoline to slice them. This V-shaped one from OXO creates nice, even slices—just be sure to use the finger guard while using it.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCALLOPED POTATOES AND POTATOES AU GRATIN?
Scalloped potatoes are traditionally in a creamy sauce whereas au gratin potatoes have a crunchy breadcrumb topping.
Do you see how thin I sliced these?
Here’s the secret sauce. Well, actually it’s called a roux with some milk and cheese whisked in.
Two layers of potatoes and sauce in the casserole dish so no potato is left behind.
Then you bake it until you think the cheese is burning. It’s not. It’s just toasting until perfect.
Enjoy! If you’re doubling this cook it in a 9×13 pan!
HOW TO MAKE SCALLOPED POTATOES
Instructions:
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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In a small sauce pan, melt butter and stir in flour.
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whisk in the milk and season with salt and cayenne.
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Cook sauce on low until smooth and boiling, stirring occasionally with a whisk.
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Reduce heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
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Place a half of the sliced potatoes in a lightly greased 1.5 quart baking dish (8×8 or 9×9 will work)
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Pour half of cheese sauce over potatoes.
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Repeat with second layer of potatoes and cheese sauce.
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Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese on top.
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Top with some paprika for color.
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Bake uncovered for about 1 hour at 350°F and when cheese is golden brown.
WHAT CAN I MAKE WITH SCALLOPED POTATOES?
Scalloped potatoes are great with ham or turkey, served with a green salad or side such as asparagus or broccoli.
CAN I MAKE THESE AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes. Although it’s not ideal. Potatoes can oxidize when exposed to air. To reduce the chances of this, soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes before assembling. Yukon potatoes do not oxidize as fast as Russet potatoes will.
For best results when making ahead, partially bake them. Just bake for 30 minutes, let cool, cover, and refrigerate.
On the day of serving, remove from fridge and let sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking. Bake for 30-40 minutes uncovered until heated through.
OTHER POTATO RECIPES:
- Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
- Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes
- Jalapeno Popper Mashed Potato Bake
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- Funeral Cheesy Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes – two Ways
- Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole
Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 cups thinly sliced potatoes, (Yukon Gold or Russet; about 2 pounds give or take)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- paprika
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1.5 quart baking dish (8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish will work).
- In a small sauce pan, melt butter and stir in flour.
- Whisk in the milk very slowly and season with salt and cayenne.
- Cook sauce on low until smooth and boiling, stirring occasionally with a whisk.
- Reduce heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
- Place a half of the sliced potatoes in the baking dish. Pour half of cheese sauce over potatoes. Repeat with second layer of potatoes and cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese on top. Top with some paprika for color.
- Bake uncovered for about 1 hour at 350°F or longer until the potatoes are fork tender.
Video
Notes
Scalloped potatoes do NOT have cheese !!!!
You are so correct! Au gratin potatoes have cheese.
Nice
Made it today, sliced the potatoes paper thin baked coverd for 30 minutes at 350 and uncovered for an additional 40 at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. They were delicious, however next time, I’m going to sauté sweet onions sliced waver thin season well and mix the potatoes with it. Definitely worth the effort, prep time ten minutes.
Sounds delicious!
The salt is definitely NOT needed. Next time I would skip completely.
I sliced mine on a mandolin approximately 1/16th of an inch or less. I covered with foil and baked 1 hour and uncovered for 20 minutes. The time covered steams the potatoes and cooks them soft throughout. I patted the potato slices with paper towels before placing in the dish so that the sauce would not become watery. I also lightly seasoned each layer of potatoes before adding sauce. Turned out just fine but I believe I prefer the potatoes without cheese in the cream sauce.
These were the best cheesey scalloped potatoes I have had. Thanks for the recipe!
These potatoes were delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I will leave some info based off of this recipe, other comments, and my experience cooking it.
2lbs of potatoes ending up being quite a bit, I didn’t end up using all of the potatoes even though I opted to use a large baking dish! I would suggest not slicing all 2lbs at once, maybe slice as you fill your baking dish to ensure you don’t end up with extras..or fry up some potato chips with the extra. I did not peel my potatoes, I’m not sure if they were supposed to be peeled but no issues there. I had no issues with cooking time, they were cooked plenty after an hour in the oven at 350 degrees. I will add the recipe says it’s 40 minutes cooking time but in the actual instructions it says 1hr to bake, hopefully that is edited at some point to avoid confusion. Another commenter mentioned this too.
The roux was straight forward to make. I followed the instructions exactly except at the end when I was putting my second layer of potatoes down I made the mistake of not returning the roux to the stove top thus causing it to clump. Keep it on the still warm burner while adding your second layer of potatoes!
The roux did take considerably more time to boil than I expected, I would say about 30-45 minutes. I understand it is meant to be heated on low heat I assume to allow thickening but due to the recipe saying it only took 10 minutes to prep I started this dish way too late for dinner, we opted to wait til the potatoes were done and eat an hour later than initially planned. I’m not sure if maybe this is because I have an electric stove top, just a heads up to maybe allow for extra cooking time 🙂
All in all, loved the recipe and will make it in the future with an extra hour for prep! I personally feel this recipe takes 2 hours to make, 1 hour prep and 1 hour to bake ❤️
Thanks again for sharing!
Thanks for all of the feedback!
My question is do you boil the potatoes for peeling first? Im wondering if boiling them first will prevent the undercooked potatoes that some people are reporting.
Also I love how passionate people are getting over scalloped potatoes vs Au Gratin … cheesey potatoes = happiness.
If you cook them long enough they won’t be undercooked. Every oven is different. I would just cook longer.
We really enjoyed this recipe. Easy to make and delicious!
Thank you!
I cut this recipe in half and used ingredients I had at home and it came out beautifully. The quantities were easy to halve. Perfect size for two ( or some now and some later)! I used russets and basic mild cheddar. I got a little heavy handed with the cayenne so it was a little spicy but I liked it. It made up for the bland cheese. Would make again! Made me think of my grandma ❤️
Thank you!
Growing up, scalloped potatoes were just a cream sauce . . .no cheese. If we wanted cheese in our potatoes we’d get a gratin potatoes. Now we can’t find true scalloped potatoes without cheese being an ingredient in it. This causes a problem when you have a family member who cannot stand cheese
I made these today. The only change was 2 tbsp butter for cheese sauce and 1 tbsp on pan. I thought it was perfect. I will make it a favorite. Not sure why some reviewers said it was runny. Not mine. Potatoes were cooked just right. Didn’t need to cook longer. Thank you for posting. I loved the cheese!
I cooked these for an hour, still crunchy, cooked them for another 45 minutes, still crunchy. I used Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced at 1/8th thickness, did everything the recipe called for (minus forgetting the paprika) and these are still like eating a hot raw potato slice.. Look elsewhere for a POTATOES AU GRATIN recipe, cause these ain’t scalloped. 1/5 stars, the cheese sauce was still good.
When one puts cheese on scalloped potatoes, they become potatoes au gratin. This is NOT a scalloped potatoes recipe.
We made this today and never thought to put cayenne pepper in, it was delicious 😋
Doubled the recipe exactly as instructed. Baked longer because I didn’t have a 9×13 dish. Came out perfect! And leftovers the next day were the delicious! Next time I’m adding onion as suggested by a previous reviewer, and adding bacon.
Thank you!
Just make Dauphinois the previous day .
There won’t be any problem.
The actual difference between scalloped potatoes and au gratin is that scalloped potatoes traditionally are not made with cheese at all – but with heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
I had the same problem. I cooked them for 1/2 hr. two days before, put in fridge. On the day I wanted them, I took them out to let them come to room temperature before baking. They cooked at 350 for 45 mins., and were raw. So I turned up the heat to 450 and cooked them an additional 30 mins, still crunchy! My husband even had to cook his portion in the microwave. I have no idea what happened since I followed the recipe to a T.
Cooked 1 hour still crunchy
How thin were your potatoes?
Mine were between 1/8 and 1/4 and weren’t cooked at an hour.
I put this together yesterday, and pulled out of the fridge this morning to bring to Room temperature before I bake. It’s very, very watery. I hope when this bakes off the moisture recedes a bit and it tightens up.
And I used aged kerrygold cheddar. Let’s see how this turns out
Mine was watery also. Followed recipe exactly 😒
I use assorted cheeses, didn’t have cheddar use gruyere, Swiss and american. And I slice very thin onions as I layer adds another level of flavor .
I sliced the potatoes with a mandolin and baked them for an hour + and they were still raw and crunchy. Please add at least another 45 minutes to this recipe.
I enjoy your recipes! Thank you!! One small tip for beginning cooks – and I apologize if you mentioned this and I missed it – if you always begin with room-temperature ingredients, you’ll have more success. In this recipe, taking the chill off the milk/cream will give you a smooth sauce every time.
Thank you!
another wrong recipe ….These are Au Gratin Potatoes …..Scallopped Potatoes do not have Cheese in them
I believe you’re the one who is mistaken. Au Gratin potatoes are topped with bread crumbs. Scalloped potatoes are in a cream sauce, with or without cheese, and no bread crumbs.
Would gruyere be a good cheese substitute ? POssibly a mix of gruyere and something else? Also, my lord some people have very strong opinions about potato’s on here.. chillax guys, it is just a potato.
Yes, gruyere is my favorite in a very similar recipe I do. Yum!
Gruyere would be great!
With having to peel and slice the potatoes, make a roux, put it altogether and bake for 1 hour, I’m confused with what it says in the blue (teal?) header of the recipe…that it takes 10 minutes to prep and 40 minutes to bake. Thirty minutes to prep seems more realistic and the directions say bake 1 hour so it would seem 1 hour and 30 minutes is closer to what it takes to make and bake this. What do you say? You can respond tonight (see, I read your blog about responding…haha!).
You really need to find a hobby or maybe workout…
Don’t be freaking rude holly.
Some people are just miserable pricks like Holly. Don’t be like Holly.
Sorry Debbie. I’m sure it’s much too late. I think it will take everyone a different amount of time to prep based on skill level.
Can I use Wondra instead of flour?
Sure!
If I double this, how long will it need to bake? Same time or longer?
You might need 10 minutes longer.
Can gluten free flour be substituted? Can any milk be used?
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not.
Made this tonight and it was simple and delicious! The cayenne provided just enough kick. Very cheesy and creamy. I added a bit of parmesan and mozzarella. Will make this again soon.
Thank yOU!
So easy and really tasty. My family loved it.
This was simple and wonderfully delicious! I added half an onion, diced, and doubled the recipe. I am so sorry to read the disparaging and grouchy comments. This was exactly what my three hungry boys were wishing for!
So happy you liked them!
I made this exactly as described and it looked and smelled delicious. But then I realized this was not a recipe for scalloped potatoes at all, but in fact was for potatoes au gratin. Needless to say I immediately disposed of it, casserole dish and all. Thanks a lot, food blog lady!
How do people post recipes and not even know what they are making…. This is a au gratin recipe, scalloped have NO cheese. and how do so many people make this and eat it and they do not even know what they made or are eating? I have a good recipe for banana bread using cranberries if anyone is interested
Scalloped potatoes do NOT have CHEESE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You for Sharing that Lovely, Easy Food Recipes. So Yummy !!! I Love it. I’ll Definitely Try it. Thank You.
So fun to you to come up in my search! We are definitely trying this recipe for our Thanksgiving this year! Always fun to be reminded of a fellow Toro! Hope all is well!
Haha go Toros!!
Just ran out of milk, can I use half and half instead?
Yes of course!
Do you need to soak these first?
Nope.
I did this recipe and it turn out wonderful, my family love the taste …. thank you 😊
You’re welcome!
I have made this numerous times due to being so simple. Turns out awesome every time. I use white cheddar and white pepper to really pack a surprise. The flavor of my all white dish floors everyone who tastes it. This dish gets emptied every time.
Great to hear!
Can I freeze them and do I need to cook them prior to freezing?
Thank you
Cristy
You can bake and freeze or freeze before. Works either way.
I loooooove this recipe. So creamy, tender, potatoey, cheesy, yum, yum, yummy!
Now, I don’t usually doctor recipes, and you really don’t have to with this one, at all….but I mandolin-thin-slice a small to medium onion and mix with the potato slices…everything else I follow to the ‘t’. This is my go-to, easy, (pretend-I-worked-all-day), impress-a-lotta-folks side dish!
Thank you, Christy, for this culinary wizadry! 🙂
Your recipe is au gratin – with cheese. It’s potatoes at gratin
Scalloped a with cream – no cheese.
Sorry it irritates me when a dish is mis named.
Where I come from, scalloped uses cream AND cheese. Either way, no one cares what she calls it – it is a great recipe and tastes delicious! Sometimes, it’s okay to not comment if you don’t have anything nice to say. ; ) Adding the “sorry” does not make your comment less rude.
Then they name it incorrectly where you are from. He’s right, au gratin is with cheese, scalloped is without. Thats literally the difference in the dishes. Its like saying I make my BLTs with ham instead of bacon. OK but that’s not a BLT.
“Sometimes it’s ok to not comment if you don’t have anything nice to say.” She wasn’t rude, you were. Heed your own advice.
Fuck off bro
That’s the spirit ! As if we’re not experiencing enough negativity right now.
Keep it clean folks.
Making these today. I’m thinking I’ll add a bit of garlic powder! Cause we love garlic!!
I always thought that the Au Gratin stood for cheese. I include chopped onions in my scalloped potatoes and sometimes ham.
How much flour, and butter?
Wish these had a link to share to FB
Amazing! Yum Yum Yum Yum!!! Just added some magic and gratitude to the cheese and potato holy ones xoxoxox Scalloped ~ Au Gratin ~ these taters are Fantastic! Thank You!!!
Very Good! As I was making it I thought it was going to be dry but I was surprised it was not. Very good recipe and will make again. Might try adding some ham, green peppers and onion for a twist .
The difference between scalloped and au gration potatoes isn’t the breadcrumb topping. Scalloped Potatoes have no cheese. Au Gratin Potatoes have cheese (Hence why they’re also known as cheesy potatoes) Not only was your statement wrong, this is not a recipe for scalloped potatoes, it’s for Au Gratin potatoes.
Okay.
I was looking for exactly this kind of recipe by searching for “scalloped potatoes”; my mother frequently made something close to this each Easter without a recipe, and I wanted to try to recreate it. Whether it’s technically correct or not, this dish is in fact referred to as scalloped potatoes in my experience as well, so I’m glad you called it scalloped potatoes. Otherwise I wouldn’t have found this (and I expect I am not alone). Thank you! I tried another recipe yesterday, which turned out OK, but I think yours looks like it will be better. I may use your recipe as early as Christmas.
Wow some people have NO lives but to bitch about someones recipes rather than just… not .
Can this be frozen and cooked later?
Sure!
I made this recipe for a family luncheon and it was a big hit I added about a teaspoon of dried dill to mine because I like how dill goes wilth potatoes and cream Everyone loved them It is a great dish and I am making again this weekend
So glad you liked them!
Has anyone not told you scalloped potatoes have no cheese? This recipe is for potatoes au gratin.
Has anyone told you that you’re rude?!
This literally says SCALLED POTATOES….Why is everyone arguing in the first place? If they’re good then enjoy them!!!!!
Right !
I agree!!
I made the scallops with my nephew and we enjoyed making it. The recipe was easy with ingredients I already had. Thank you for this, it was VERY HELPFUL. It turned out Wonderful 👏!!!
Yay! Happy to hear that.
This was absolutely divine! I left out the cayenne because my mother has bad stomach ulcers but did everything else just as you said. Creamy, delicious potato heaven! Thank you!
Totally. The cayenne is not mandatory!
Can you make this ahead?
Potatoes tend to turn gray if left out too long so you could make it and bake it then just reheat.
In case of emergency the potatoes can be stored covered in water for a while (overnight) just drain, rinse and use as normal.
I have not made these yet but im going to tonight. They are very similar to the ones I have made in tbe past. Can you use heavy cream?
Yes. Definitely a thicker version.
I added minced garlic to the sauce…its in the oven now!
Yummy!
fabulous!
This recipe is easy to make and absolutely delicious!!! Thank you!
My aunt made these for a cookout and they were not greasy but I made them and they r super greasy like its puddled on the sides and everything is there a way to make it less greasy or did I do something wrong
Hmm that’s strange? What kind of butter did you use?
My first try they were greasy too. second try I did not grease the pan, used more potatoes and less cheese on top.
The potatoes look delicious. What type of milk do you use when making this recipe. Can I use 2 % milk or would that cause the sauce to break/separate? Thanks!
You can use 2% but whole milk would be better.
Thank you for a great recipe! I sweated onions in the butter, then cooked till translucent, then added flour. Tip: use your slicing blade on your food processor- very quick and makes thin, uniform slices.
Great tips!
My 11 year old made these, and it was easy for him, and came out great!
The terminology or should i say definition of scalloped and au gratin are wrong.
Technically au gratin potatoes are made with grated cheese whereas scalloped are not. The french term for gratin does mean dark crust but its not the ingredient that separates the two. Your making an almost version of gratin dauphinois potatoes.
Food for thought.
How much butter, flour, milk and salt are you using?
How many servings does this make without doubling it?
6 servings!
I’ve come back to this recipe about 4 times now and am about to make it as part of a meal train for a family member! I use red potatoes which I believe cook faster. I use a mandolin slicer on the thinnest setting to slice. I like to salt and pepper my two potato layers before adding the cheese sauce on top. I don’t have cayenne so I just used salt, pepper and paprika to the sauce and it’s delicious. I always end up taking them out of the oven about 10 mins earlier than posted in the recipe since they cook so fast. Always bubbly and amazing!
It’s been over 2 hours and the potatoes are still not done. Used a mandolin to cut them so they’re super thin and followed your recipe exactly. Do you have super oven? Mines been at 350 and they’re still not cooked. WTF
If it took over 2 hours you obviously have issues with your oven or you!
I had the same problem. I cooked them for 1/2 hr. two days before, put in fridge. On the day I wanted them, I took them out to let them come to room temperature before baking. They cooked at 350 for 45 mins., and were raw. So I turned up the heat to 450 and cooked them an additional 30 mins, still crunchy! My husband even had to cook his portion in the microwave. I have no idea what happened since I followed the recipe to a T.
I made these today and they were fantastic! I have been using another recipe for years but decided to check other recipes and found yours. It was perfect and looked just like your picture! Thanks for a great and easy recipe.
So happy to hear that.
Let’s just say my hubby had 2 helpings an no complaint from my son…thank you as I usually have the worst luck making this type of dish!
Haha nice.
This recipe is a win! It came out really good and the family loved. I didn’t use cayenne pepper (didn’t have any). I used garlic salt & pepper on each layer that I had, but that’s the only thing I did different.
Thanks!
I loved them! My mom thought they needed more salt but I think they were perfect. The cayenne was definitely showing haha. Thanks!
Wish I could post a picture!
I wish you could too!
Really easy to make!
Thank you!
Solid recipe , expected results! Thank you for a no fuss traditional potato dish other than mashed, fried or roasted!
You’re welcome!
I feel like I didn’t hear the sauce long enough so it was very watery when I put it together. Does that sound right ?
Shouldn’t be watery.
I make this once or twice a month. Its a good substitute for mashed potatos bc it keeps and reheats well for my husbands lunch.
Thank you!
Superb! Excellent for leftovers as well!
Thank you!
Follow Up: Mmmmm! The mozzarella makes for a creamy underneath, while the last half cup of cheddar crisped atop.
Kind of wish you had had written a last line instruction:
Allow to cool for 10 – 15 minutes prior to serving.
So hungry and tempted at the time, sliced 1/4 serving from the baking dish onto my plate, alongside the half-pound of beef, onions, and mushrooms and the green beams on the plate.
Definitely, had to type another note while the scallop potatoes cool on the plate.
Glad you liked it. I guess I assume people know not to eat it right out of a hot oven.
Hi Kristey,
Mine’s baking with 20 min to go. Only had 1 cup cheddar, so, heated 3/4 c of Mozzerella with 1/2 c of Cheddar in sauce. Looks beautiful in oven.
In a few minutes I’ll begin frying 1/2 lb hamburger, onions and mushrooms in a dollop butter, and there’ll probably be microwaved mixed vegetables. It’s only me.
I sure appreciate that you took the time to write your recipe for the scallop potatoes.
Thank you, Cheers!
You’re welcome!