Cheesy Scalloped potatoes are the perfect comfort food… creamy, rich and cheesy; but they always take so long to cook! Not anymore! This recipe uses a method that will show you how to make this cheesy goodness in about half of the time of traditional scalloped potatoes recipe!
My mom taught me an easy little trick that speeds up the cooking of the potatoes and has them ready on time every time! If you just pop them in boiling water for just a few minutes before you put this together, you will cut down your cooking time by as much as an hour, saving time for delicious main dishes like meatloaf or pork chops!
What Are Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes are a classic side dish made with thinly sliced potatoes layered and baked until hot and bubbly. A classic scalloped potato recipe doesn’t include cheese and is made with a roux (white sauce).
While similar to au gratin potatoes, there are some key differences:
- Potatoes au gratin have a cheese sauce (instead of a white sauce), and are most often made with layers of onions and potatoes.
- Classic scalloped potatoes don’t contain cheese sauce or cheese
- Cheesy scalloped potatoes use a white sauce and are layered with cheese
How Do You Make Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes are easy to make and delicious but they can take a very long time to cook, not anymore!! In this quick recipe, I have a couple of tips to reduce the baking time from about 90 minutes to 45 minutes!
Tips to reduce cooking time:
- Potatoes: Boiling the sliced potatoes for a couple of minutes makes this recipe quick as the potatoes don’t have to cook as long and they’re already warm going into the oven.
- Sauce: These cheesy scalloped have a quick and easy shortcut white sauce to save time (and effort). I use condensed cream of mushroom soup and layer with cheese and onions! If you’d prefer you can make your own Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup or use cream of chicken or cream of celery!
To Make Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes:
- PREP:
- Slice the potatoes (I use a mandoline slicer to make it quick) and drop the potatoes into boiling water for 5 minutes (this is a huge time saver).
- Mix the white sauce ingredients together.
- LAYER:
- Layer the sauce, potatoes and cheese in a 9×9 baking dish
- Top with more cheese
- BAKE:
- Bake the cheesy scalloped potatoes until golden and bubbly.
Can You Freeze Scalloped Potatoes
Potatoes can sometimes change texture when frozen, so scalloped potatoes taste best when made fresh. If you plan to freeze them, make sure you have already baked them first. Raw potatoes can still oxidize in the freezer, causing them to turn grey.
Cheesy scalloped potatoes should last up to a month in the freezer. The trick to ensuring they taste great is in the reheating, like most potato side dishes, we prefer to reheat in the oven with a little bit of fresh cheese added on top!
More Perfect Potato Sides
- The BEST Mashed Potatoes – Creamy, dreamy, delicious!
- Scalloped Potatoes Recipe – the classic!
- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham – our favorite during Easter
- Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes – so easy
- Easy Cheesy Potatoes – the best comfort food
- Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes – crispy and delicious
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup chicken or celery soup, 1 can
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- black pepper to taste
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Wash potatoes and slice ¼″ thick (no need to peel). Drop into boiling water for 5 minutes. During the last minute, add sliced onions to the water. Drain.
- Meanwhile, combine soup, milk, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl. Microwave until hot.
- Put a little bit of the soup mixture in the bottom of a greased 2 QT casserole dish, a 9×9 pan, or an oven-safe pan. Layer ½ of the potatoes, ½ of the soup mixture, and ½ of the cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese.
- Bake at 375°F for 45-55 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
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© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
remove
I just made this 3 times in 3 days! We liked it so much, we made one for my parents and then one for my father in law. Everyone loved it! The first one I used golden potatoes and cambells cream of cheddar for the soup. For the next two, I used large red potatoes and Ragu jar double cheddar sauce, with no milk and whisked in about 1/2 teaspoon of wondra flour. (,it’s what I had, temporarily dusabled and cant drive to the store), or I wouldn’t have changed your recipe) They were all fabulous!! I cut the potatoes a little too thin, so some broke and/or crumbled a bit, but no worries, the outcome was perfect, just the same! I love the pre-boil tip,!! Cook On!!!
I’m so glad your family enjoyed it!
It’s the best!! Instead of boiling potatoes in water I used the milk from the recipe – (got idea from M Stewart recipe).
Great idea!!
One question: Do you add water to the can of soup, as on the soup can directions?
I do not add water, just use the soup as is.
I tried your way and I like my way better and it is cheaper. Instead of the soup use a properly seasoned white sauce . Keep the good ideas coming.
Would you please share your white sauce recipe that you use for this?
I don’t have yellow potatoes on hand but do have russets. Do you think russets will work ok?
I haven’t tried this method with russets so I can’t say for sure how it will work. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it works for you!
Loved it and the russets worked ok. I may have sliced some to thin (some broke up a bit) but, it tasted really good! My husband loved it and we have leftovers for tonight! I do love yellow potatoes so the next time I make it, I’ll get those! Thanks for sharing the recipe……yummy!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it Shelly! Thanks for letting us know how your potatoes worked out!
How many people does the above recipe feed?
Thank you.
This serves 6-8 as a side dish.
I made these last night and they were great. I used cream of mushroom w/roasted garlic soup, cut my potatoes thinly then cooked them for 1 1/2 hrs with tin foil over the top, during the last 15 mins I took off the tin foil and added the 2nd cup of cheese over the top, until golden brown. I will definitely be making these again!
I just made this…..I didn’t have shredded cheddar so I used the fiesta blend. It was absoutly DELICIOUS!!!!! I’m eating it while I type this out. I wouldn’t change anything! Absoutly good!!! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
Did I miss the secret to them cooling quickly?
This is the step of boiling for a couple minutes just before you bake them. This takes about an 45-60 minutes off the bake time. :)
Is it one can of each soup or the soup of ur choice
It is one of your choice.
Hi Holly,
Can I make this dish the day before? And heat the following day in the oven? Or can this recipe be done in the slow cooker? If the cooking time as per your instructions is 45-55min would you suggest cooking 30min the day before and another 25min before serving to complete the cooking time?
I haven’t tried splitting the cooking time. If you did, I would think you would have to allot more time on the second day to allow for preheating of the dish to bring it up to the right temperature.
These are the best looking scalloped potatoes!!
My mouth is watering just looking at your fantastic potatoes!! Pinned :) Thanks so much for sharing!!
Oh my I can almost taste these awesome potatoes! Thank you so much for taking the time during this busy season to share your wonderful post with Full Plate Thursday. Have a wonderful weekend and hope to see you again real soon!
Miz Helen
Oh, my mouth is watering. Look at all of that cheesy goodness. Thanks so much for sharing such a delicious recipe. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for linking up to Thrifty Thursday.
mmmmm it looks good
I love scalloped potatoes, can’t wait to give them a try! Would love for you to come over and share at my link party
I love scallop potatoes!! Would love for you to come over and share at my link party
Looks so yummy!
I would love if you would link up with me and share!
I saw you shared this recipe at the Flour Me with Love link party. I have a new link party on my website, Required Ingredient Recipe Link Party…and this week’s featured ingredient is potatoes. I hope you’ll pop over and share this recipe, and any others you just love that have potatoes in them.
So, what’s the little trick to speed up cooking time your mom taught you?
Slightly boiling the potatoes before you bake them. This takes about 45min-1hour off the baking time!
Could canned sliced potatoes be substituted to really cut down the time?
I haven’t tried canned potatoes before so I’m not sure how that would work!
After slicing the potatoes I place them in water and then microwave for 4 minutes and let sit for a few minutes while I clean up the peelings and set up the rest of the dish.
Great timesaver Maryann!
I use shredded hashbrown potatoes. The ones you find in the freezer section of the grocery store. Get the 30 oz. bag. Even easier and it tastes so good. You can even assemble it the night before.