Scalloped Potatoes are an easy classic recipe, perfect for your Easter dinner, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or even Sunday dinner.
In this classic side dish, thinly sliced potatoes and onions are layered in an easy homemade cream sauce and baked until tender, golden, and bubbly.
What are Scalloped Potatoes? Said to have originated in England, the word ‘scallop’ refers to how the potato is sliced. Thin and uniformly cut potatoes are layered in a casserole dish, covered with a seasoned onion cream sauce, and baked. The result is this savory scalloped potato recipe! While traditional scalloped potatoes do not have cheese, we sometimes add a little bit.
You’ll Love These Scalloped Potatoes Because…
- Nothing says comfort food like a perfect scalloped potatoes recipe.
- Tested and perfected, this recipe has thousands of 5-star reviews!
- This recipe is homemade from scratch for the best flavor.
- It’s easy to prepare with simple ingredients.
Ingredients for Scalloped Potatoes
- Potatoes: Thin-skinned potatoes such as Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes are my first choice as they don’t require peeling, and they hold their shape well. Russet potatoes or Idaho potatoes can be used and taste great; however, they tend to break apart.
- Onions: Onion is a traditional ingredient in a classic scalloped potato recipe like this one. I soften it in butter to bring out the natural sweetness.
- Sauce: The sauce for these scalloped potatoes is quick to make. Flour, butter, and milk give it a creamy texture while broth adds a boost of flavor.
- Seasonings: Simple seasonings are all that’s needed, including salt, pepper, onion, and garlic.
Variations
- Cheese: To add cheese to scalloped potatoes, remove the sauce from the heat and stir in up to 2 cups of shredded cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese is a great option.
- Herbs: Add ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, crushed rosemary, or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or chives.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
Making scalloped potatoes from scratch takes time but is relatively easy.
- Slice potatoes: Thinly slice the potatoes (a mandoline is helpful if you have one).
- Prepare sauce: Prepare the homemade sauce according to the recipe below.
- Assemble: Layer the potatoes and sauce in a baking dish.
- Bake: Cover and bake. Uncover and bake a bit more; this step creates a delicious golden brown topping on the scalloped potatoes.
Quick Tip
Scalloped potatoes will hold their heat for a long time, so they can be prepared early if needed.
Be sure to let them cool for 20 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken.
Tips for Perfect Scalloped Potatoes
- Slice the potatoes evenly to ensure the scalloped potatoes cook evenly
- To make prep easy, use a mandoline. You can get them for around $25.
- If adding cheese to the sauce (which will actually make these into Potatoes Au Gratin), remove the sauce from the stove and stir in up to 2 cups of shredded cheese.
- Season the potatoes with salt and pepper between layers.
- Cover with foil while the potatoes bake so the steam cooks them a bit faster. Uncover towards the end of cooking for a gold brown top.
To Prepare Scalloped Potatoes Ahead of Time
To prepare this scalloped potato recipe ahead of time, partially bake them as directed below.
- Prepare as directed in the recipe below and bake the dish covered for 50-60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on the counter (leave them covered, the steam will help to finish cooking).
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. On the day of serving, remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered for about 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.
More Cozy Potato Recipes
This scalloped potato recipe is at the top of our list for holidays (especially paired with ham). Here are more favorites.
Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes *see notes sliced about ⅛-inch thick
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
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To make the sauce, in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion begins to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes more.
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Combine the milk and broth. Add mixture, a little bit at a time, whisking after each addition. The mixture will be very thick at first, continue addomg in a little bit of liquid at a time, whisking until smooth.
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Once all of the liquid has been added, increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil while whisking. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and let it boil for 1 minute.
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To assemble the potatoes, layer ⅓ of the potatoes in the prepared dish and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Pour ⅓ of the cream sauce over top.
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Repeat the layers, including salt and pepper, ending with sauce over the final layer of potatoes. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
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Uncover and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and potatoes are tender. Broil for 3-4 minutes if desired.
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Allow the potatoes to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Prepare the potatoes as directed in the recipe.
- Bake the dish covered for 50-60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on the counter (leave them covered, the steam will help to finish cooking). Cover and refrigerate.
- On the day of serving, remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered for about 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
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What is the Difference Between Scalloped and Au Gratin Potatoes?
Potatoes au Gratin are also called cheesy potatoes because the white sauce is actually a cheese sauce (and they often have cheese sprinkled between the layers and/or breadcrumb topping).
This scalloped potato recipe can (of course) be topped with cheese or have cheese added in but sometimes I love the simplicity in this recipe without cheese. The sweetness of the onions and milk is the perfect addition to these sliced potatoes!
Can You Freeze Scalloped Potatoes?
These potatoes will keep in the fridge for about 4 days and reheat well in the microwave, oven or in a frying pan! If you want to freeze them longer, yes, scalloped potatoes can be frozen!
Almost any casserole dish can be frozen perfectly with a little know-how. If making a freezer meal, the best way to freeze scalloped potatoes is to not fully cook them all way, but leave them a little undercooked. Then, once they are cooled in the fridge, portion them out the way you want to and wrap carefully before putting in the freezer. To reheat, simply thaw and finish the cooking until the potatoes are tender again!
While that’s a great option, most often we want to freeze leftovers. In this case, these scalloped potatoes freeze well, although I do find they sometimes break apart a bit when reheated but they still taste great!
REPIN this Fantastic Casserole
brill
First time I have ever made scalloped potatoes.I added about 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar to the sauce mixture once I took off the stove.Excellent and will make again!
Really good and spot on. Thank you
Came out really well but for my family we like cheese so I added extra cheese almost like mom’s
I followed your recipe exactly and my potatoes were not done. I had to turn my oven up to 445 degrees and bake it for another 1/2 an hour. I know oven temperatures vary one from another but that is a big difference. Anyway, once it was done, it was very good. Thank you.
That is definitely a large difference. I am not sure exactly what happened but a few things that can affect cook time are if your potatoes were sliced thicker than ours, your dish was a smaller size, or your oven temperature was slightly different than ours. I hope that helps!
One tool I did not have was a mandolin. Picked up a manual OXO handheld mandolin to add to my arsenal and it made quick work of prepping the potatoes. (I used Russets) This was absolutely delicious and worth the time. I used Smoked Gouda cheese on top. I always look at your site first when I need meal ideas. Thank you!
A mandolin makes such a big difference in the prep time for this recipe! I am glad you enjoyed it, Lorraine.
This is a winner recipe! Thanks.
My husband and I absolutely enjoy your recipe for Scalloped Potatoes. We’ve made your recipe many times and and enjoy it every time!! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Holly,
The recipe doesn’t say how many potatoes or cups of potatoes. Can you please add it to the recipe?
THank you.
JS
3 pounds white potatoes is approximately 6 medium potatoes. It can vary a little bit.
Delicious!
Delish!!!!!!!!
Spot-on for amount of sauce vs. potatoes. Tasted great!
Didn’t try this but had to leave a comment and say thank you for NOT adding cheese to your recipe!!! This is the correct thing to do lol. Au Gratin has cheese. Scalloped potatoes do not. Instead you wrote it as an option if people want to.
I always have full intentions of following the recipe, but had to add CHILI FLAKES, THYME, and MARJORAM