Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
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My creamy scalloped potatoes are baked in a rich cheese sauce made with parmesan and asiago until golden brown on top. I make this side dish with a homemade roux based sauce that is ready for the oven in about 10 minutes.
Any potato lovers out there? I absolutely love serving potatoes as a side dish because there are just so many delicious ways to prepare them. If you are a fellow potato fan like me, you have to try my potatoes Anna or my Italian scalloped potatoes.
Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes are a potato casserole dish where layers of thinly sliced potatoes are cooked with butter, cream, or milk and then baked until done. It is incredibly hard to find the exact origin of scalloped potatoes, but there is an old English word collops which means meat slices. Collops are also related to the French word escalope. Over time the word came to mean slices, and in the city of Yorkshire there was a dish called collops which were thick slices of potatoes cooked until brown.
My recipe uses a roux based cheese sauce with whole milk, parmesan, and asiago that gets poured over layers of thinly sliced russet potatoes. I brown the onions first, stir in garlic and flour to make a roux, then pour in the milk and cook it until thick. Once the cheese is stirred in, I layer everything in a casserole dish and bake it uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour.
I love how the top gets perfectly golden and crispy while the inside stays creamy and tender. So good! You can swap in your favorite cheese or use a different type of potato depending on what you have on hand. This side dish is super easy to make by following my directions below.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The cheese sauce in this recipe is what sets it apart from other scalloped potatoes, and each ingredient plays a role in getting the right flavor and consistency.
- Potatoes – I use russet potatoes, but Yukon gold or red bliss potatoes also work well. Slice them thin and even for the best results.
- Onion – A yellow onion works best, but white or sweet onion will also do.
- Garlic – Just 1 minced clove goes a long way in the flavor department.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter in your cooking and baking so you can control the sodium.
- Flour – All purpose flour is used to make a roux that thickens the sauce.
- Milk – I prefer whole milk, but you can substitute with half and half or heavy cream for a richer sauce.
- Cheese – I use a combination of parmesan and asiago. You can also use cheddar, Havarti, gouda, pecorino Romano, gruyere, Swiss, or mozzarella.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
Brown the onions: I add butter to a medium sized pot over medium heat and cook the onions until lightly browned, about 5 minutes while stirring frequently.
Make the roux: I stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 20 to 30 seconds. Then I mix in the flour to create a roux.
Build the sauce: I pour in the milk and bring it to a boil over high heat until it becomes thick, like alfredo sauce. It should coat the back of a spoon.
Add the cheese: I stir in half the cheese along with salt and pepper until melted and smooth.
Layer the casserole: I spread a third of the cheese sauce on the bottom of a 7×11 casserole dish sprayed with non stick spray.
Add cheese: Then I layer on half the potatoes, more cheese, and another third of the sauce. I repeat with the remaining potatoes, sauce, and cheese.
Bake and serve: I bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until well browned on top and the potatoes are tender.
Chef Tip + Notes
The key to great scalloped potatoes is slicing the potatoes uniformly. If some slices are thick and some are thin, they will cook unevenly and you will end up with some that are mushy and some that are still crunchy. I recommend using a mandoline if you have one. It makes the job fast and keeps every slice consistent.
- Keep potatoes from browning: After peeling and slicing, I keep the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water to prevent them from turning brown. Just drain and pat them dry before layering.
- Use oil instead of butter: If you prefer, oil can be used in place of butter for the roux.
- Don’t rinse the potatoes: The natural starch helps thicken the sauce while baking. Rinsing removes that benefit.
- Press the layers down: Gently press each layer before adding sauce to eliminate air pockets and improve structure.
Serving Suggestions
These scalloped potatoes are what my wife always requests when I make a standing ribeye roast. The cheesy potatoes next to that roast with a pour of beef gravy over the top is one of the best plates I put together all year.
On regular weeknights I serve these alongside a simple roasted chicken or grilled pork chops. They also pair well with potatoes au gratin if you want a full potato spread for a dinner party. My daughter likes them reheated the next day for lunch, and they hold up perfectly.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: To make these ahead of time, go through all the steps but only bake for 35 to 40 minutes. On the day of serving, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze these covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place the desired amount in a small to medium sized pan and bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until warm throughout.
More Potato Recipes
- Crispy Potato Skins Recipe
- Twice Baked Potato
- Lyonnaise Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
Easy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded asiago cheese
- 4 peeled and thinly sliced russet potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Add the butter to a medium size pot over medium heat and when it’s melted add in the onions and cook until lightly browned, which takes about 5 minutes while frequently stirring.
- Stir in garlic and cook just until fragrant, which takes about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Mix in the all-purpose flour to make a roux.
- Next, pour in the milk and bring to a boil over high heat until it becomes thick, like alfredo sauce. It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Finish by stirring in ½ the cheeses, salt, and pepper.
- Add a 1/3 of the cheese sauce to the bottom of a 7×11 casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Layer on with half the potatoes, cheese, and a 1/3 of the sauce.
- Next, add on the remaining potatoes, and then the remaining sauce and cheese.
- Bake in the oven uncovered at 350° for 1 hour or until well browned on top and tender. Serve.
I make the sauce, then add the potatoes and heat it all on top of the stove. Then I put it in the baking dish. This will cook up faster.
Hi Chef! I haven’t made this yet; however, my question “is there another spice you might recommend over garlic as I’m terribly allergic?”
You can try swapping the garlic for some shallot.
Chef Billy,
I’m a huge fan and so grateful I found you, I’ve made many of your recipes and they always deliver. In this recipe, because potatoes come in many sizes, I’m wishing it had a cup measurement.
Thanks for gifting all these wonderful recipes to all of us
Respect
Judy
I made this tonight but the sauce broke. I used Gruyere and heavy cream, and after the first bake, it was super oily. The flavor was great, but was not creamy. I’m trying to figure out what went sideways. I’m generally an excellent cook and this was a kick to the ego.
It most likely just got too hot for too long. Where in the oven did you bake it? Try moving it towards the bottom rack if you didn’t already do that.
I have always done my with finely sliced onion layered with the potato slices as well as cheddar cheese. I plan to try it your way to see if my family prefers it.
Appreciate you trying it!
Wonderful
Thank you!
The very best scalloped potatoes ever! Thank you!
Amazing! Appreciate you trying it!
Easy and delicious!!!