With thousands of reviews, this is a FIVE-STAR FAVORITE!
Tested and perfected, this classic Scalloped Potatoes layers sliced potatoes and onions with an easy homemade cream sauce. It’s baked until golden and bubbly.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights For Scalloped Potatoes
- Flavor: Creamy and slightly buttery, this is a true scalloped potato recipe with a creamy white sauce, onion, and butter.
- Prep ahead: These can be prepared a couple of days ahead of time. I’ve included directions in the recipe notes.
- Recommended tools: A mandoline will make for even slices and save lots of prep time.
- Kitchen tip: Scalloped potatoes will hold their heat for up to 45 minutes, so prepare them early if you need the oven space.
- Recipe tip: Let them cool for at least 20 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens.
Ingredient Tips For Scalloped Potatoes
This Scalloped Potato recipe uses simple ingredients.
- Potatoes: I use Yukon gold or red potatoes for scalloped potatoes. They have thin skins, so they don’t need to be peeled, and they will hold their shape. Russet or Idaho potatoes can be used and should be peeled; they won’t hold their shape as well but still taste great.
- Onion: Use either white or yellow onion to flavor the sauce. Soften the onion in butter to bring out the natural sweetness.
- Sauce: Milk makes the sauce creamy without being too rich or heavy. Broth may not be traditional, but it adds flavor and salt to the sauce. I prefer chicken broth, but vegetable broth can be used.
- Seasonings: Since this is a classic scalloped potato recipe, the seasonings are simple. Salt, pepper, onion, and garlic—be sure to salt each layer of potatoes, too.
- Variation: Add ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, crushed rosemary, or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or chives to the flour.
Serving suggestions: Serve these Scalloped Potatoes next to baked ham for Easter or Christmas, alongside meatloaf for Sunday supper.
Gratin vs. Scalloped
The main difference between scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin is the cheese. Scalloped potatoes don’t generally contain cheese (although you can add cheese if you’d like).
This recipe has a creamy onion sauce; cheese can be added for an au gratin version—check the recipe notes for tips.
Steps for Scalloped Potatoes (overview)
Making scalloped potatoes from scratch takes time, but it is easy. There are four basic steps:
- Slice potatoes: Thinly slice the potatoes (a mandoline is helpful).
- Prepare sauce: Make the homemade sauce (recipe below).
- Assemble: Layer the potatoes and sauce in a baking dish.
- Bake: Cover and bake to make the potatoes tender. Uncover and bake to create a golden brown topping.
How to Freeze Scalloped Potatoes
To freeze scalloped potatoes, cook them for 25 minutes less than the recipe requires. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. To cook, thaw the potatoes in the fridge overnight and follow the directions below, adding 20 minutes to the covered cooking time.
Leftovers & Storage
Store leftover scalloped potatoes in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave or oven. Chopped scalloped potatoes make great breakfast potatoes cooked until crisp in a nonstick skillet.
Did your family love these Scalloped Potatoes? Leave us a rating and a comment below.
Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 large yellow 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 or red potatoes, *see notes, sliced about ⅛-inch thick
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
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.
- Combine the milk and broth. Gradually add it to the flour mixture, whisking until smooth after each addition. It will be very thick at first; continue adding a little bit of liquid at a time while whisking.
- 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 the sauce boil for 1 minute.
To Assemble the Potatoes
- Layer ⅓ of the potatoes in the prepared dish, seasoning with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Pour ⅓ of the cream sauce over top.
- Repeat the layers, including salt and pepper, ending with sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and potatoes are tender. Broil for 3-4 minutes if desired.
- Allow the potatoes to rest for at least 20 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 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 Casserole, Side Dish
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This was so easy to make and didn’t last very long everyone loved it.
Absolutely delicious! It was a big hit at my husband’s birthday dinner.
These potatoes were deli’s. I usually don’t add garlic or onions but doing so really amplified the dish. I will definitely makes these again
These potatoes are so good!! I baked mine slightly longer as we like a crunchy top to the potatoes. if I could give more then 5 stars I would. YUM!!!
These potatoes turned out wonderfully creamy! Be sure to let them sit for about 10-15 minutes after coming out of the oven so the sauce can thicken up slightly. I did add some fresh thyme, but use herbs sparingly or they will overpower the dish.
Made it gf by using gf flour. Added ham and made it our main course! Delicious!
I made this recipe and it was very easy and I only changed it a little… by adding leftover Easter ham and sharp cheddar cheese and it came out beautifully, and I hope to make this again. Thank you for another challenging recipe, Holly!!
This is a must make recipe! Super easy to make and so delicious! I modified this recipe ever so slightly! I grated my onions and squeezed in dry in a paper towel before sautéing. I used half milk and half and half. I also added small sprinkle of Gruyère cheese between the layers and a little on top! I was temped to cook this in a muffin tin to have individual portions and might do that if I am trying to feed a large group.
Love this recipe. no changes followed the recipe exactly and it came out terrific!
Great recipe! I actually only made 1/2 of the recipe and it turned out fantastic. There is only two of us and it was way more than enough. What really made it a success was my husband said it tasted just like his Mom’s ! Wow . Thanks for sharing it !
Happy to find comment on halving the recipe. Thanks for sharing
Hoping to make this tonight.
We loved it! I made it exactly as directed..peeled red potatoes and no cheese… it was delicious. I like that it was lower in fat than other scalloped potato recipes.
Thank you so much. this is just like what my mom used to make. I have been looking for a great recipe that does not use cheese, as my mom’s scalloped potatoes also had no cheese. Thank you so much.
Perfect! So simple to make and the payoff is immense. It cuts and serves beautifully, staying together in a wonderful manner. Using Yukons with the skins on give the dish a gorgeous color and texture. Leftovers were even better than the first day. Thank you for making me a hero on Easter!
What a wonderful easy to make recipe. We did use our meat slicer due to not having a mandolin.
We also added some cheddar cheese to the sauce 2 cups as suggested. Many will say this is now au gratin. We added cheese due to every time we have scallop potatoes they are watery with no flavor. This recipe is a keeper. Also left overs were even better. We are now trying Holly’s split pea soup with our Easter ham bone.
SO DELICIOUS! I made these for Easter – even bought a mandolin because I’ve tried scalloped potatoes before and could never get them thin enough. My whole family LOVED them – such a great flavor. Thanks so much for a new ‘keeper’!
I’ve made this recipe a few times. It’s my go-to for scalloped potatoes. Very yummy!! I peel my Yukon gold potatoes.